Roasted Garlic and Thyme Mac ‘n Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves beneath, but do not peel the garlic. You want to roast it in the skin. Place the bulb on a piece of aluminum foil, place the tablespoon of salted butter on top, pour lemon juice over the garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bring up all sides of the aluminum foil and twist together to close. Bake it in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until garlic cloves are soft and golden in color. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, use a fork to remove the garlic cloves from the skin, putting the cloves in a bowl. Mash. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain it and set it aside.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Allow to cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Heat to a simmer but do not boil.

Crack the egg into a heatproof bowl. Slowly whisk a couple tablespoons of the heated milk mixture into the egg to temper it. Then pour the egg back into the milk mixture.

Whisk in the cheeses and allow to melt. Whisk in the mashed roasted garlic, fresh thyme, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir in the pasta. Mix well. Remove from heat and let it stand for 5 minutes so sauce can thicken.

Stir. Adjust seasoning if desired. Serve immediately.