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Ina Garten truffled mac & cheese, an easy make ahead recipe, gets its earthy flavor from white truffle butter and sautéed wild mushrooms. You assemble this dinner party dish a day before, then bake it under garlic herb bread crumbs until golden.
Scald the milk before adding it to the truffle butter roux, because cold milk makes the sauce lumpy. That step and the cream sherry in the mushrooms are what separate this from regular baked mac and cheese.
Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)
What you need for this recipe
Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan
Scald the milk here first, then add it hot to the roux so the sauce stays smooth.
Buy on AmazonOXO 11-inch balloon whisk
Whisk nonstop while the hot milk goes in and the sauce comes out silky, not lumpy.
Buy on AmazonPyrex 9x13 glass baking dish
A 2 quart dish keeps the creamy middle and crisp bread crumb top in balance.
Buy on AmazonIna's pantry Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb
The salt Ina measures with. Other brands are saltier, so her amounts fit this one.
Buy on AmazonShipping adds up. Try Prime free for 30 days for fast, free delivery.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ina Garten Truffled Mac and Cheese
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: EasyCreamy cavatappi in a Gruyère and Cheddar sauce enriched with white truffle butter, tossed with cream sherry sautéed mushrooms, and baked under garlic herb bread crumbs until golden and bubbly.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons cream sherry, such as Harvey's Bristol Cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound cavatappi pasta
3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons white truffle butter, such as Urbani
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp white Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups (1/4-inch-diced) white bread, crusts removed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the cream sherry and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Cook the cavatappi in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
- Scald the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a large (10 to 12 inch) pot or Dutch oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the truffle butter. Add the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour the hot milk into the roux, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the Gruyère, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the nutmeg.
- Add the pasta and mushrooms to the sauce and pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Toss the bread cubes, garlic, and parsley together, scatter them on top, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tools for this recipe
- Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Love this one? It is from Ina's book Modern Comfort Food.
FAQ
Regular unsalted butter with 1/2 teaspoon of white truffle oil stirred in at the end works as a backup. Black truffle butter has a different, stronger flavor that Ina specifically warns against using here.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or microwave loosely covered until heated through. The bread crumb topping will soften, so a few minutes under the broiler crisps it back up.
Yes. Prepare the full dish, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to one day before baking. Add 10 to 15 minutes of oven time since you are starting from cold, and keep an eye on the bread crumbs so they brown without burning.
A 2-quart baking dish is the right size. It keeps the ratio of creamy interior to crispy bread crumb topping in balance. A larger dish will spread the pasta too thin and dry it out.
Scald the milk first and add it hot to the roux while whisking constantly. Cold milk hitting a hot roux is the main cause of lumps. Cooking the flour for a full 2 minutes before adding the milk also helps, because raw flour clumps more easily.
This week on Amazon
Prime Big Deal Days run October 6 and 7, two days of deals for Prime members. The picks from this recipe we would check first: Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish.
See the dealsBlack Friday and Cyber Monday deals run through December 1. The picks from this recipe we would check first: Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish.
See the dealsIna's new cookbook Simply Ina comes out October 20. Pre-orders are open.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
