Spinach, Artichoke, Sun-dried Tomato and Prosciutto Mac & Cheese

1. In a small saute pan, set over medium-medium low heat, combine olive oil, a pinch of salt, and your large sweet onion (peeled, cut in half, and thinly sliced). Cover and allow to cook until onions are soft but have not yet taken on any color. If onions start to brown too quickly, reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, until the onions are dark brown and caramelized.

2. While your onions cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally, add pasta, and cook according to the package directions, stopping the cooking process while the noodles are still the slightest bit undercooked. Drain and set aside.

3. As the onions continue to cook and the water comes to a boil, make your roux: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan, over medium low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook the roux for 2 minutes, until just starting to bubble. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in your milk and raise the heat to medium. Stirring fairly often, but not constantly, cook the sauce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, taking care never to let the sauce come to a full boil.

4. When sauce has thickened, remove from the heat. Add your American cheese, let it sit to melt for a minute, and then stir to combine. Add 2 cups of Monterey jack cheese, let it sit, and then stir. Repeat with the remaining 2 cups of Monterey jack cheese. Using a rasp grater or zester, grate 2 cloves of garlic directly into the sauce. Do the same with the remaining 1/2 small onion. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If the cheese still looks a tiny bit under-melted at this point, return the pot to the stove top over low heat. Be very careful not to use much heat or cook for more than 2-5 minutes, or the sauce will start to separate. Add a splash of white wine, if desired, and stir well.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In the pot you used to boil the pasta, combine the pasta, cheese sauce, 4 of the prosciutto slices (sliced into long, thin strips), the artichokes, the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and caramelized onions. Transfer to a 9 x 13 oven-safe baking dish.

6. Tear the slices of bread slightly and pulse in the food processor until you achieve consistent, but not too fine, crumbs. Add to the melted butter and stir to combine. Add minced parsley and grate the last two cloves of garlic into the mixture. Chop the remaining two prosciutto slices up finely and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Pulse a couple more times to mix all ingredients well and sprinkle evenly over the top of the pasta.

7. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, until the topping is crisp and browned and the cheese sauce is just starting to bubble up around the edges. Let cool slightly and serve.