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4.10.2014

truffle mac and cheese.

To know me is to know my obsession with truffles. Recently, another one of my obsessions, Stonewall Kitchen, launched a line of truffle-related products and during my last trip to Maine I scooped up the truffle marinara (to die for), truffle aioli (I haven't opened this yet because I know I will eat the entire jar in one sitting) and of course, truffle oil.

And everyone knows when life hands you truffle oil, you make truffle mac and cheese, so that's exactly what I did:


I used this recipe, with a couple of tweaks in italics:


What you need:
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 tsp. truffle oil* (um, what is this, amateur hour? there is such a thing as not enough truffles, and I think 2 teaspoons is it: I added 3 tablespoons for truffle-licious flavor. No regrets.)
4 Tbs. butter, plus more for greasing
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika* (I used regular paprika)
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese* (not enough cheese)
1 1/2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese* (again, not enough--I think you need more for sprinkling on top)
2 Tbs. minced chives
* I also added breadcrumbs to the top before baking (Italian, but I think panko would be delish)

What you do:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, drizzle with the truffle oil and stir well.

Add the butter to the saucepan and melt it over medium-high heat. Add the flour, paprika and mustard and cook, stirring well, until no visible flour remains, 1-3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half, and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking frequently to smooth out any lumps, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add a pinch of pepper and 1 cup each of the Gruyere and Cheddar. Stir until smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce onto the macaroni, add the chives and mix well. Transfer to the prepared dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.


***
It was delicious, and I would totally make it again.

1 comment:

  1. WORD. I made a mac and cheese as Funeral Food (wah) this past weekend and that addition of Dijon to the cheese sauce? Made a WORLD of difference. I'm never doing it any other way. I also always add fresh nutmeg to cheese sauce and paprika makes the world go round in our household.

    Bon weekend!

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