Truffle Mac and Cheese

With a truffle-infused white cheddar and gruyère sauce, there’s no denying the decadence of Truffle Mac and Cheese Recipe! This impressive and delicious side dish is a no-fail elevated comfort food recipe that truffle lovers will go wild for. Use natural truffle oil for the best flavor, and toss additional oil with the breadcrumbs for extra mouth-watering truffle flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Cool Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 691kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

9x13" casserole dish
Large Pot
Large saucepan

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (elbow macaroni, cavatappi, small shells) (454g)
½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
2½ cups whole milk (600mL)
12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (white preferred) (344g)
4 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (116g)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon natural truffle oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (70g)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain well; set aside.
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and well combined, about 45 seconds. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to bubble.
Reduce heat to low. Gradually stir in the cheddar cheese and Gruyére cheese until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard, truffle oil, and salt. Fold in the pasta. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Stir in additional truffle oil (about ¼ teaspoon), if desired. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the pasta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the mac and cheese is bubbly around the sides. Turn the oven to broil and broil until the top is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and cut the cooking time by about 1 minute so the pasta had a bit of chew left to it, or until it is al dente. The pasta will become perfectly tender and absorb moisture while baking in the oven.
Cook the pasta in heavily salted water. For superior flavor, add at least 1 tablespoon of sea salt to the large pot of water before adding the pasta.
Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is more expensive and doesn’t melt as well as block cheese because it is coated in anticaking agents. I recommend purchasing block cheeses and grating them on the large holes of a box or handheld grater.
Optional: make a truffled breadcrumb topping. If you are using white truffle oil or prefer additional truffle flavor, stir ¼ teaspoon of truffle oil into the breadcrumb mixture before sprinkling over the macaroni.

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