This mac ‘n cheese couldn’t be more simple, or more cheesy. There’s no bechamel sauce to make, so the hardest part is grating the cheese. I highly recommend buying hunks of cheese and grating them yourself for this pasta. The dish is best when made with a mixture of gruyere and young manchego, which don’t come in pre-grated bags. Though, if you do not like those cheeses, you may substitute a good quality mild cheddar. It can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for a few hours, but don’t pour the milk over top until ready to bake. I often make this for the “kids’ meal” when having friends over for dinner, yet every time I do the adults circle around the dish after the kids have had their fill and polish it off. A real treat for all ages.
All About the Cheese, Mac ‘n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta such as cavatappi or fusilli
- 1 pound grated cheese, I recommend half gruyere and half a young manchego for best flavor, but you can substitute mild white cheddar for some or all
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- pinch salt, plus more for the pasta cooking water
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 9 x 13” baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions in plenty of salted water. Drain when the pasta is al dente – a few minutes shy of being totally cooked through.
- Grate the cheese using the large holes on a box grater. Toss with the drained pasta, taste for seasoning (it will probably need a few pinches of salt) and place in the buttered dish. Pour the milk around the pasta, and cut 1 tablespoon of the butter into pieces and place evenly on top. Cover with a piece of buttered foil (so that the cheese doesn't stick to the foil when baking).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking until golden. Serve warm.
Notes
- This can be made ahead through step 3 and refrigerated until ready to bake.
