Älplermagronen

Ingredients

• 400g elbow macaroni
• 400g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 150ml whole milk
• 150ml heavy cream
• 200g Gruyère cheese, grated
• 100g Sbrinz or Appenzeller cheese, grated
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 50g butter
• Salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• 400g apple sauce, for serving

Before you cook

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1.5cm cubes.
• Peel and thinly slice the onions.
• Grate the Gruyère and Sbrinz cheeses together into one bowl.

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the potato cubes to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the macaroni to the same pot and cook together with the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
4. Drain the pasta and potatoes, reserving 100ml of the cooking water, then return them to the pot off the heat.
5. In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
6. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp, then remove from the heat.
7. Set the pot with the pasta and potatoes over low heat and pour in the milk and cream.
8. Stir in the grated cheese a handful at a time until fully melted and creamy, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water if it looks dry.
9. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
10. Spoon the macaroni onto plates and scatter the fried onions over the top.
11. Serve immediately with a bowl of apple sauce on the side.