Description
Truffled Macaroni and Cheese is a decadent baked pasta dish featuring al dente macaroni enveloped in a rich, creamy truffle-infused cheese sauce. Earthy cremini mushrooms, truffled goat cheese, sharp cheddar, and a crunchy truffle-oil breadcrumb topping create a luxurious comfort food ideal for special occasions or indulgent dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1/2 pound pasta, cooked al dente
Mushroom and Sauce
- 2-3 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and finely diced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 tsp truffle oil
- 3/4 tsp truffle salt (or to taste)
Cheeses
- 8 ounces truffled soft goat cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Topping
- 3 Tbsp bread crumbs
- truffle oil (to moisten breadcrumbs)
- truffle salt (a pinch for topping)
- fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and lightly butter a gratin or baking dish to prepare for the mac and cheese.
- Sauté mushrooms: In a dry saucepan, sauté the finely diced cremini mushrooms, stirring almost constantly, until they release their moisture and begin to darken, intensifying their flavor.
- Make the roux: Add butter and flour to the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes without browning to form a roux that will thicken the sauce.
- Add milks and thicken sauce: Slowly pour in the milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk while stirring to combine. Increase the heat slightly and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to simmer and thickens — avoiding boiling to keep the sauce smooth.
- Season with truffle oil and salt: Remove the saucepan from heat, stir in the truffle oil and truffle salt, and let the sauce cool for a minute.
- Melt cheeses and combine pasta: Add the truffled goat cheese and shredded sharp cheddar to the sauce, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Fold in the cooked pasta evenly to coat with the sauce.
- Prepare breadcrumb topping: Moisten the breadcrumbs with truffle oil and season with a pinch of truffle salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the pasta in your prepared baking dish.
- Bake the dish: Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly. For a browned top, briefly broil the mac and cheese, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Serve immediately: Remove from oven and serve your rich, creamy truffled mac and cheese hot for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- This dish combines multiple types of dairy and truffle flavors for a complex, luxurious taste experience.
- Using evaporated milk helps keep the sauce creamy without thinning it out.
- Watch the broiler carefully if you choose to brown the topping to avoid burning.
- Serve immediately for the best melty cheese texture and warm aroma.
- Leftovers can be gently reheated but may need additional cream or milk to restore creaminess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 395 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 872 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 87 mg
