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Textured macaroni with bacon and cheddar sauce recipe – IDDSI Level 5
Anyone working with people with dysphagia knows it: dishes often end up being repetitive, with bland flavours and indistinct colours that are hard to identify, leading to disinterest or rejection. But eating should still be a pleasure, even for those on an adapted diet.
In this recipe, we show you how to prepare macaroni with bacon and cheddar sauce adapted to IDDSI Level 5, using the cutter-emulsifier to achieve a smooth texture without sacrificing flavour. Because it matters that the colour and taste still reflect what’s on the plate. Everyone deserves to enjoy eating.
Ingredients (10 servings):
- 1000 g macaroni
- 100 ml UHT whole milk
- 400 ml double cream
- 230 g cheddar cheese
- 400 g bacon
- 60 g butter
- 600 ml chicken stock
- 20 g salt
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
1. Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water with a splash of oil until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
For the bacon sauce
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
3. Add diced bacon and cook until nicely browned.
4. Pour in 200 ml of cream and allow it to fully combine with the bacon.
5. Mix this sauce with the boiled and drained macaroni.
For the cheddar cream
6. Gently heat the milk, the remaining 200 ml of cream and the cheddar cheese over low heat.
7. Once fully melted, let it reduce slowly until it thickens.
8. Blend using the XM-22 blender until you obtain a smooth cream with IDDSI Level 3 texture, so it pairs better with the pasta, which tends to thicken over time.
To achieve IDDSI Level 5 texture
9. Place the pasta and bacon sauce mixture into the KE-8V cutter-emulsifier, making sure not to exceed the filling line.
10. Blend at speed 6 for 10 seconds, turning the scraper to ensure the entire mix is processed evenly.
11. Check the consistency and, if necessary, add chicken stock to adjust moisture and uniformity.
For plating
12. Serve using a round mould and top with a few spoonfuls of the cheddar cream.
+ Note: Like other starch-rich foods, pasta is hygroscopic and changes consistency as it thickens over time by absorbing liquids. You can offer the diner a small glass of IDDSI Level 3 stock cream to pour over the dish, helping with swallowing and reducing any stickiness or thickening that may occur if the meal takes longer to eat.
