Truffle Mac Cheese Indulgence (Printable)

Creamy macaroni with a smooth four-cheese sauce topped with black truffle oil and shaved truffles.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz elbow macaroni or short pasta

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 4 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
06 - 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
07 - 3 oz Fontina cheese, grated
08 - 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for pasta water
12 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

→ Topping & Finish

13 - 2 tablespoons black truffle oil
14 - 0.7 oz fresh black truffle, thinly shaved or 1 to 2 teaspoons high-quality truffle paste
15 - 1.5 oz panko breadcrumbs
16 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
17 - 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
18 - Chives, finely chopped for garnish, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 390°F. Grease a medium baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until just al dente according to package instructions, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture turns pale golden.
04 - Gradually whisk in 2 cups milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
05 - Add Gruyère, cheddar, Fontina, and Parmesan cheeses. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Mix in Dijon mustard, black pepper, salt, and nutmeg.
06 - Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until evenly coated.
07 - Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
08 - In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Mix until resembling coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta.
09 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the surface is golden brown and the sauce bubbles around the edges.
10 - Remove from the oven. Drizzle with truffle oil and scatter shaved truffle evenly over the top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped chives if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like indulgence without requiring you to actually spend three hours cooking or your entire paycheck on ingredients.
  • The four-cheese sauce hits differently than the standard yellow box, with real depth and that subtle earthiness that makes people ask what you did differently.
  • Shaved truffle transforms this from weeknight dinner into something you'd serve to people you're genuinely trying to impress.
02 -
  • If you add the truffle oil before baking, most of its aromatic magic disappears into heat—wait until the very end so those earthy compounds stay present on your palate.
  • The roux step feels fussy, but it genuinely prevents lumps and creates a sauce that coats pasta instead of pooling at the bottom like soup.
03 -
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble everything except the breadcrumb topping and truffle oil, then cover and refrigerate—just add the topping and bake fresh when you're ready, which takes all the stress out of dinner parties.
  • The secret to preventing a broken sauce is keeping your heat moderate and your whisking patient; rushing either step and you'll end up with something grainy rather than silky.
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