Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. When boiling, season the water heavily, then add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions, then strain and wash with cold water. Keep rinsing the pasta until it’s cool. 

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, prep the leeks. Peel back the outer most layer of the leek (this is going to carry most of the dirt and be a bit tough). Wash the leeks, making sure to peel in between the layers and get all the dirt out. Leeks carry a lot of dirt, so this is an important step to ensure you don’t have any sand or dirt in the final dish. 

Once the leeks are washed, thinly slice the leeks (I aim for as thin as possible, 1/16″). I separate the dark green parts and the white parts into different bowls. 

Also prepare the chard – wash, thinly slice the leaves, and dice the stems. 

Heat a medium sized pan on medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one cup of panko breadcrumbs. Continue to stir this for about 2-3 minutes, or until the panko begins to brown. Reduce the heat once you start to see some color, and continue to cook for another minute or so. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Once the breadcrumbs are all golden brown, remove from heat and add in the ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Set this aside on a plate to cool, and wash the pan. 

Heat the same pan on medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Add the darker green sliced leeks, a pinch of kosher salt, and then give this a stir. Continue to stir this every minute or so to prevent burning. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the white / light green sliced leeks and the chard stems. Add a pinch of kosher salt and let this cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add in the chard leaves, another pinch of kosher salt,  and cook for 2 more minutes. Set this aside, and wash the pan.

Mise out all the ingredients for your bechamel. Shred the cheese, measure out the butter and flour, and measure out the 8 cups of milk. 

In the same pan that you sauteed the leeks and chard, heat this pan on medium heat. Add the flour and butter and begin to whisk together. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and avoid any browning. Reduce the heat to low if you see that it begins to melt and brown quickly. Then, add the whole milk to the pan and bring this up to a boil. You can increase the heat, just be careful and continue whisking so that the milk at the bottom doesn’t begin to form a skin. Bring the milk mixture up to a boil (the sauce will not thicken otherwise), then turn off the heat. Add the shredded cheeses in 3 batches, making sure to mix in the previous batch fully before adding more. After adding all the cheese, season the bechamel with kosher salt (I used 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, but if you’re not using kosher salt, start with 1 teaspoon and taste and adjust from there). 

Add the reserved leek and chard mixture to the bechamel. Give everything a mix, then add in the cooked and cooled pasta. Mix everything together, taste, and add more salt or pepper as desired. 

Pour the mac and cheese into an oven safe dish or pan. I like to use a large cast iron.

Before serving, add the panko breadcrumbs to the top of the mac and cheese, and bake this at 400F for 20-25 minutes, or until nice and bubbly. 

Serve, and enjoy!