Stovetop mac and cheese with a cheddar mornay

Have the pasta water boiling before starting the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat until foaming.

Add an equal amount of flour and whisk, cooking about 1 minute.

Add the milk in small splashes, letting each clump into a paste before adding more; once the bechamel covers the bottom of the pan, add the rest faster.

Cook another 1 to 2 minutes at a bare simmer to the consistency of thick heavy cream, coating the back of a spoon (nappe).

Add the pasta to its boiling water timed to finish with the sauce.

Kill the heat under the bechamel and fold in the shredded cheddar, a mix of mild and sharp; let it sit a moment to melt gently.

Add the hot pasta and about 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water and fold together.

Add about a teaspoon of mustard, a gentle sprinkle of cayenne and a generous amount of salt.

Optional: while hot, mix in about 4 more ounces of shredded cheese just until evenly distributed, not melted; rest about 2 minutes.