Tortellini With Cheese Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• Salt to taste if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 18 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 18 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup cheese such as Gruyere or Swiss cut into small cubes
• 2 10-ounce packages fresh tortellini with cheese or meat filling
• 1/4 cup grated cheese such as Gruyere or Swiss

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk.
3. Add the milk, stirring rapidly with the whisk, and cook until sauce is thickened and smooth.
4. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and cream.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the egg yolk, beating vigorously with the whisk.
6. Let cool slightly.
7. Add the cubes of cheese, stirring rapidly with the whisk.
8. Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add salt.
9. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
10. Drain well.
11. Scatter the tortellini into a baking dish (a dish measuring 13 1/2 by 8 1/2 by 2 inches is ideal) and spoon the cheese sauce on top.
12. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the dish and place in the oven.
13. Bake 10 minutes.
14. To obtain a golden glaze on top of the casserole, run it briefly under the broiler until browned.

butter, flour, milk, salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, egg yolk, gruyere, grated cheese

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11154 (may not work)