Truffle Mac & Cheese
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 1251
- Total Fat
- 85
- Saturated Fat
- 49
- Carbohydrates
- 82
- Dietary Fiber
- 7
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 43
- Cholesterol
- 262
- Sodium
- 888
- Total: 1 hr 50 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
12 ounces gemelli pasta
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1 onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 bulb Roasted Garlic, recipe follows
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 ounce preserved truffles, grated
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar
2 1/2 cups grated Havarti cheese
Roasted Garlic:
8 large garlic bulbs
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the pasta in salted water 2 minutes under the recommended cook time. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and thyme, then squeeze in the roasted garlic flesh from the skin and cook to soften the onions, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the heavy cream and reserved pasta water. Add the mascarpone, truffles, pepper, salt and paprika. Stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups of each cheese and stir to melt.
- In the prepared baking dish, layer half of the pasta, half of the remaining cheese, the remaining pasta and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes, then broil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Roasted Garlic:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the top quarter off each garlic bulb. Place the bulbs in a pie pan and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the garlic is roasted and soft, about 45 minutes.