Mexi Mac and Cheese

I tried out some spicy mac and cheese. I'm dating a guy who can't handle a meal without meat, so we had some simple pork chops on the side, grilled or fried up with some seasoning salt. I can't remember now. I'm playing catch-up with the blog, so there's a chance the meat in the pic was chicken or steak in disguise. I wouldn't know for sure. The pasta, however, has a recipe with notes, so that-I know about. And here it is.

(Also- I wanted to include a photo of the pasta as it came out of the colander- it looked like a brain. And I think that's pretty great.) 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 poblano peppers or 2 ancho chilies (not sure what I ended up with)
• Salt
• 1 pound bow-tie pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups milk
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I added this- the peppers I got weren't super hot)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 1/2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend
• 1 firm avocado, diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 small vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 scallions, green and white parts, chopped (I forgot these)

MAKING IT

1. Heat the broiler to high and blacken the poblanos on all sides, 12-15 minutes. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tight with plastic wrap or place in a paper sack; cool for 10 minutes, then peel, seed and chop. (This worked- I'll vouch for it)
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Add salt and the pasta and cook al dente.
3. Heat a saucepot over medium heat; add the olive oil, onions, and garlic and cook until tender, 6-7 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and when it melts, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, the cumin, and the coriander and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight pattern until the cheese melts.
4. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce and the chopped poblano peppers. Toss the avocado with the lime juice. Serve the mac-n-cheese in shallow bowls and top with the tomatoes, avocados and scallions.

SERVES
8 as side, man. Recipe said 4, but gee whiz.