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An overhead shot of truffled mac and cheese served inside a shallow speckled ceramic bowl. The mac and cheese is topped with toasted garlic breadcrumbs and crispy roasted mushrooms with a gold fork resting inside of the mac and cheese. The bowl sits atop a black textured surface with a small pinch bowl filled with toasty garlic breadcrumbs resting alongside.

Quick 30-Minute Truffle Mac and Cheese

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 3-4 1x
  • Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Ultra-rich and creamy, this 30-minute Truffle Mac and Cheese recipe is pure pasta decadence! Fold al dente pasta noodles into a creamy cheese sauce laced with truffle cheddar and parmesan cheese, then top the stovetop pasta dish with crispy mushrooms and garlicky breadcrumbs for a totally luxe, restaurant-worthy vegetarian pasta made at home. Classic comfort food with a luxurious twist!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces Priano Authentic Italian Bronze Cut Conchiglie Pasta or short pasta of choice
  • 3 tablespoons Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter
  • 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ cups Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk
  • ½ cup Friendly Farms Heavy Whipping Cream
  • ¼ teaspoon Stonemill Ground Nutmeg
  • 5.3 ounces Emporium Selection Premium English Truffle Cheddar Cheese, shredded (approx. 1 ¾ cups shredded)
  • 4 ounces Happy Farms Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (approx. 1 ½ cups shredded)
  • 0.75 ounces Emporium Selection Parmesan Cheese Wedge, finely grated (approx. ¼ cup grated)
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • for serving, as desired: toasty garlic breadcrumbs (see Recipe Notes), crispy roasted mushrooms (see Recipe Notes), finely chopped parsley, etc. 

Instructions

  1. Prep: Before you get started cooking, read this recipe start to finish and prep the ingredients you need – measure the flour, milk and cream, grate the cheeses, etc. The cheese sauce is time-sensitive and comes together quickly once you start cooking, so having your prep all taken care of helps ensure a smooth cooking process. If you plan to serve your truffle mac and cheese with crispy roasted mushrooms or toasty garlic breadcrumbs, get both of those elements started first – refer to the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance. Truffle mac and cheese ingredients arranged on a black textured surface: Priano Authentic Italian Bronze Cut Conchiglie Pasta, Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter, Baker's Corner All Purpose Flour, Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk, Friendly Farms Heavy Whipping Cream, Stonemill Ground Nutmeg, Emporium Selection Premium English Truffle Cheddar Cheese, Happy Farms Mozzarella Cheese, Emporium Selection Parmesan Cheese Wedge, cremini mushrooms, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
  2. Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the pasta is al dente, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water, then drain. (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)Drained al dente conchiglie pasta fills a strainer that sits atop a white Staub dutch oven. The dutch oven sits atop a black textured surface.
  3. Make the roux: Meanwhile, just after dropping the pasta in the boiling water, begin preparing the truffle cheese sauce. Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add in the flour, whisking vigorously to eliminate any lumps in the roux. Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown.How to make truffled mac and cheese, step 3: Make a roux. A roux is formed inside of a large gray Staub cast iron skillet that sits atop a black textured surface. A metal whisk with a wooden handle rests inside of the pan for stirring.
  4. Build the truffle mornay sauce: Slowly add the milk and heavy cream into the pot, whisking constantly to eliminate any lumps in the roux. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to the point that it coats the back of a spoon (nappe). Season with the ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ground black pepper as desired. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Working one handful at a time, add the shredded truffle cheese, mozzarella cheese, & parmesan cheese to the sauce, allowing the cheeses to melt completely between additions. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until thickened slightly. Taste & season with additional salt & ground black pepper as desired. Truffle mornay sauce is built inside of a large gray Staub cast iron skillet. The skillet sits atop a black textured surface. A woman's hand sprinkled a variety of cheese into the sauce to melt into a truffle mac and cheese sauce. Bowls of shredded truffle cheddar, mozzarella, and grated parmesan cheese surround the pan at center. A wooden spoon rests inside of the pan for stirring.
  5. Finish the truffle mac and cheese: Fold the cooked pasta into the truffle cheese sauce, stirring to combine well. If the mixture is a little thick, add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out as needed. From here, adjust as needed so the truffle sauce evenly coats the pasta – if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the truffle sauce.Al dente conchiglie pasta is tossed into a truffle cheese sauce to make finished truffled mac and cheese inside of a large gray Staub cast iron skillet. The skillet sits atop a black textured surface. A woman's hand holds a wooden spoon as she uses it to stir and combine the pasta and the sauce.
  6. Serve immediately. Portion the truffle mac and cheese into bowls. Top with crispy roasted mushrooms, toasty garlic breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh parsley, and/or ground black pepper as desired. Enjoy!An overhead shot of truffle mac and cheese served inside a shallow speckled ceramic bowl. The mac and cheese is topped with toasted garlic breadcrumbs and crispy roasted mushrooms with a gold fork resting inside of the mac and cheese. The bowl sits atop a black textured surface with a small pinch bowl filled with toasty garlic breadcrumbs resting alongside.

Notes

  • Simple Add-Ons: While this truffle mac and cheese is creamy and totally luxe on its own, a couple of simple add-ons take it completely over the top. I like to prep my favorite Crispy Roasted Mushrooms and Toasty Garlic Breadcrumbs before I begin cooking the pasta – they’re both quick and quite hands off! 
    • Crispy Roasted Mushrooms: Place a sheet pan on a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, then preheat the oven (and the sheet pan) to 450 degrees F. As the oven preheats, clean and halve or quarter 16 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella). Working quickly and carefully, remove the hot sheet pan from the hot oven. Drizzle 3 tablespoons Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the pan, shaking to coat the surface, then place the mushrooms over top, shaking them into a single, uniform layer. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the mushrooms a good shake, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and return to the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, place 2 tablespoons butter and 4 cloves finely chopped garlic on the sheet pan, then return to the oven for 3-5 more minutes. Remove from the oven, shake to coat in garlic butter well, then set aside for serving. (Learn more ⇢ Crispy Roasted Mushrooms)
    • Toasty Garlic Breadcrumbs: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup panko breadcrumbs and ½ teaspoon garlic salt. Stir to combine well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and golden, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl for serving.
  • Storage and Reheating: Leftover truffle mac and cheese will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. 
  • 15-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this truffle mac and cheese comes from shredding the cheeses and prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
    • Shred the cheeses: Shred 5.3 ounces truffle cheddar and 4 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella. Finely grate 0.75 ounces parmesan cheese. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (5 minutes active prep)
    • Optional: clean and trim the mushrooms: If desired, clean, trim, and halve or quarter 16 ounces cremini/baby bella mushrooms. Transfer to a large bowl and store uncovered in the fridge for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/truffle-mac-and-cheese/