Ina Garten mac and cheese from Food Network uses white truffle butter in the roux and folds in sautéed shiitake and cremini mushrooms with Gruyère and Cheddar. And the casserole serves 6 to 8 at approximately 780 calories per serving in about 1 hour and 30 minutes, since the sauce and mushrooms cook while the pasta boils.
Where most mac and cheese recipes build the roux with regular butter, Ina swaps in white truffle butter, which infuses the entire sauce with an earthy, luxurious aroma from the base up. So every strand of pasta tastes like truffles without needing to shave a fresh one over the finished dish.
Scalding the milk before whisking it into the truffle butter roux is the step that prevents lumps and keeps the sauce silky. And if you pour cold milk into hot flour, the temperature shock seizes the starch into clumps that no amount of whisking can smooth out.
Source: Ina Garten (Food Network)
Ina Garten Mac and Cheese
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings30
minutes1
hour780
kcalSautéed shiitake and cremini mushrooms deglaze with cream sherry while truffle butter builds a roux with flour and scalded milk before Gruyère and Cheddar melt in. Then the pasta and mushrooms fold into the sauce, pour into a baking dish, and garlic-parsley bread crumbs crisp on top at 375°F.
Ingredients
- For the mushrooms:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Good olive oil
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/2 inch
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/2 inch
3 tablespoons cream sherry
- For the pasta:
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
1 pound pasta, such as cavatappi
- For the sauce:
3 ounces white truffle butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, scalded
12 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- For the topping:
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Heat to 375°F.
- Sauté the mushrooms: Then heat the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook the mushrooms over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until tender.
- Add the sherry: Once the mushrooms are soft, pour in the cream sherry and sauté a few more minutes until absorbed.
Boil the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water with a splash of olive oil to a boil and cook the pasta 6 to 8 minutes until al dente. - Drain the pasta: Once cooked, drain well and set aside.
- Build the roux: Then melt the truffle butter in a large saucepan and whisk in the flour, cooking for 2 minutes on low heat.
Add the scalded milk: Once the roux is cooked, slowly whisk in the hot milk and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes until thickened. - Melt the cheeses: Then remove from the heat and stir in the Gruyère, Cheddar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.
- Combine everything: Once the sauce is smooth, mix the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in a large bowl.
- Pour into the dish: Then transfer to a 10x13x2 inch baking dish.
- Make the bread crumb topping: While the dish is ready, pulse the garlic and parsley in a food processor until minced, then add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine.
- Top and bake: Then sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake 35 to 45 minutes until bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.
FAQs
What can I use instead of white truffle butter?
White truffle butter is sold at specialty stores and online, and Ina recommends D’Artagnan brand specifically. But if you cannot find it, regular unsalted butter works with a drizzle of truffle oil stirred into the finished sauce for a similar earthy note.
And truffle oil is easier to find at most grocery stores, so add about 1 tablespoon after the cheeses melt and taste before adding more. Since truffle flavor is strong, a little goes a long way and too much makes the sauce taste artificial.
Why does the recipe use two types of mushrooms?
Shiitakes have a meaty, chewy texture that holds up in the baked casserole, and creminis add an earthier flavor that complements the truffle butter. So the two together create more complexity than either one alone.
But if you can only find one type, use a full pound of creminis since they are available everywhere. And the cream sherry deglaze adds a sweet nuttiness that bridges the mushrooms and the truffle, so do not skip that step even with a simpler mushroom selection.
Can I prep this ahead and bake later?
Assemble everything in the baking dish up to 1 day ahead, but hold the bread crumb topping in a separate bag. And sprinkle the crumbs on right before baking, because they absorb moisture from the sauce overnight and turn soggy instead of crisping.
Then add about 10 extra minutes to the bake time since the cold dish needs longer to heat through. And the same hold-the-topping strategy works for the ina garten chicken pot pie, where the pastry goes on just before the oven to keep it flaky.
What pasta shape works best?
Ina calls for cavatappi, which is a corkscrew-shaped tube that catches the thick cheese sauce inside its curves and hollows. And penne or rigatoni swap in directly since their tube shape holds sauce the same way.
But avoid long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti, because they clump together in the baking dish instead of distributing the mushrooms and sauce evenly. Since the casserole bakes for 35 to 45 minutes, a sturdy short shape also holds up better than thin noodles that overcook.
What should I serve alongside truffle mac and cheese?
A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is the best pairing, because the acidity cuts through the heavy Gruyère and truffle butter. And the ina garten roasted butternut squash adds a sweet, caramelized contrast that plays well against the earthy mushrooms.
But skip bread on the side, because the garlic-parsley bread crumb topping already covers the crunchy, carby element. And avoid another cheese-heavy dish at the same meal, since 6 1/2 cups of grated cheese in one casserole is more than enough richness for the table.
