Name: Baked MAC and CHEESE
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 pound cellentani (about 400 g); 3/4 pound cheddar cheese (about 400 g); unsalted butter (1,7 ounces); all purpose (AP) flour (1,7 ounces); milk; cheddar cheese (3/4 pounds yellow cheddar 400 g); q.s. nutmeg; black pepper (a pinch); 3/4 pound parmesan cheese (about 100 g grated Parmesan cheese)

Baked MAC and CHEESE

Baked MAC and CHEESE

Mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese or simply pasta with cheese, whatever the name you call it, it is an irresistible, creamy and stringy recipe of the American tradition absolutely to be reproduced at home.

A soft and creamy first course, characterized by an unmistakable golden crust on the surface.

It is a particular format of short pasta, the Cellentani, topped with cheddar cheese melted in a sort of creamy béchamel with the addition of Parmesan cheese, then au gratin in the oven.

Really simple and quick to make, mac and cheese is a dish whose taste meets and satisfies the needs of all palates by now appreciated and exported all over the world that has even “won” an entirely dedicated American national holiday.

The original macaroni and cheese recipe does not require any special skills, today I will reveal the secrets to making a perfect dish that everyone will love.

As an alternative to cheddar, however, if you don’t like it, you can also use other cheeses, the important thing is that they are soft cheeses with a strong taste.

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DifficultyVery easy
CostVery cheap
Preparation time40 Minutes
Cooking time20 Minutes
Serving6/8 portions
CuisineAmerican

Ingredients

³/₄ pound cellentani (about 400 g)

FOR THE CHEESE CREAM

³/₄ pound cheddar cheese (about 400 g)

unsalted butter (1,7 ounces)

all purpose (AP) flour (1,7 ounces )

milk

cheddar cheese (3/4 pounds yellow cheddar 400 g)

q.s. nutmeg

black pepper (a pinch)

³/₄ pound parmesan cheese (about 100 g grated Parmesan cheese)

Tools

Steps

Prepare cream cheese

Put butter in a saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat.

Sift flour, add it and mix with a hand whisk to obtain a golden cream.

Prepare pasta

Cook cellentani, or other type of short pasta, in abundant salted water following the cooking times indicated on the package.

Drain when al dente, about 2-3 minutes beforehand.

Put pasta directly into the pan with the cream cheese.

Add 70 g of grated Parmesan cheese and mix with a spoon.

Gratin in the oven

Transfer the pasta to a lightly greased pan and spread the remaining grated Parmesan cheese (30 g) ontop.
Bake for about 10 minutes under the grill of the oven at 250 degrees to form a light golden crust.

Check after 5 minutes to see that it does not burn.

When the mac and cheese is ready, take it out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy your meal!

NOTE

Put a little salt in the pasta cooking water to prevent the dish from being too salty: the cheese is already quite savory.

If you don’t like cheddar you can replace with Fontina or Emmental, the important thing is that they are soft cheeses, with a strong taste and that melt easily.

NOTE

Put a little salt in the pasta cooking water to prevent the dish from being too salty: the cheese is already quite savory.

If you don’t like cheddar you can replace with Fontina or Emmental, the important thing is that they are soft cheeses, with a strong taste and that melt easily.

MAC and CHEESE WITHOUT OVEN

Just season the pasta directly in the pot and finish cooking on the stove.

The result will be creamy in the same way but will lack the browning of the surface.

STORAGE

I recommend consuming the mac and cheese pasta as soon as it is ready.

If you have leftover, you can keep it in the fridge for a maximum of 1-2 days.

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