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Using an unusual pasta shape, such as campanelle or straccetti, elevates macaroni and cheese from the everyday to the elegant, especially when you use a combination of cheeses, such as Gruyère, cheddar and Parmesan. Here, we bake it in a Le Creuset shallow oven, but any baking dish with a capacity of about 3 quarts (3 l) will do.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (500 g) dried short pasta, such as straccetti or campanelle
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) milk
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) half-and-half
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz./180 g) shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz./180 g) shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Directions
Preheat an oven to 375°F (180°C).
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, drizzle with the olive oil and stir well.
Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring well, until the flour is thoroughly incorporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half, nutmeg and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking frequently to smooth out any lumps, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add a pinch of pepper and two-thirds each of the Gruyère and cheddar. Stir until smooth.
Pour the cheese sauce onto the macaroni and stir well. Transfer to a Le Creuset 2.75-quart shallow oven or large baking dish with a similar capacity and top with the remaining one-third Gruyère and cheddar and all of the Parmesan. Sprinkle evenly with the panko. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen
Rated 5 out of
5
by
BKelly from
Best Mac & Cheese EVER!!!
This recipe was not only easy to make, but the result was a huge hit for Christmas dinner! Only thing I added was a few dabs of butter on the breadcrumbs before baking. It was rich, creamy and the taste was like something right out of good french restaurant!
Date published: 2023-12-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
MickeyMcMiller from
Our go-to every time!
Love this recipe and so does everyone who tries it. Real comfort food but with an adult twist added by the Gruyere. Def pay attention to the instructions to undercook your pasta so it doesn’t get too soft while baking. I can’t help adding just a little extra cheese & panko on top. Don’t know how anyone could find this dry. It’s creamy but not fakey or slimy like the package kind.
Date published: 2022-11-18
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Rando from
Very Satisfied
Made this per the directions, except no oil. Used cavatapi pasta.
It is exactly like gramma made except for the gruyere flavor. I like the consistency, don’t like creamy mac-n-cheese. Creamy is phony.
Date published: 2022-07-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
khmark7 from
Easy to prepare
Recipe was easy to prepare - and i even added some chopped up asparagus which turned out perfect. Enough for 4-5 servings easy.
Recommended recipe!
Date published: 2021-01-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
PG13 from
Mmmmm.....delicious!
Tried this recipe last night. W-O-W! Great taste and moist. I especially loved the crunchy topping made from the Panko bread crumbs. Followed the directions. Would make this again.
Date published: 2020-01-15
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Luv2Cook from
Dry
I tried this recipe as a treat for my Birthday. As I love Mac and Cheese. Mistake. Was to dry and tasted like olive oil instead of cheese. So sad... should of compared other recipes I have and would of realized dish would be dry. Also olive oil? Totally ruined the taste of the expensive artisan cheeses I took so much care in purchasing for my treat. Won’t be making this mess again!
Date published: 2019-12-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
smissana from
This is comfort food!
This was a great side dish for a pulled pork meal on Sunday and it heats up great for leftovers! I love that there's not a lot of butter so it's not a greasy mac and cheese. I used a 9x13 glass pan because I like to have more surface for a crispy top :) I had some leftover bacon strips on hand from breakfast and chopped those up for garnish. Not a salty dish and I used white pepper in the roux and topped with fresh cracked black pepper under the panko. I also used grated pecorino romano and mixed it together with the panko for a cheesier topping. This recipe is a keeper and will be in regular rotation! Easy to take to a pot luck too!
Date published: 2019-03-07
Rated 5 out of
5
by
MamaCooksALot from
Upscale MacNCheese
Easy to prepare, this three-cheese recipe is the perfect side dish that can also be a main dish for a vegetarian meal. Made on a weekday night for supper and will certainly make again. *used sharp cheddar instead of white because I had it on hand; reduced the milk/half-n-half by a 1/2 cup because it seemed like a lot.
Date published: 2015-10-07
