Truffle Mac And Cheese

Truffle Mac And Cheese

This earthy decadent Truffle Mac and Cheese is a mushroom lover’s dream. It’s easier than you think and can be made ahead- perfect for holidays and gatherings.

Ingredients:
16 ounces pasta- small shell or elbow (see notes)

Sauteed Mushrooms 

12–16 ounces mushrooms- cremini, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, porcini, maitake, sliced or torn.
1/2 an onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh thyme (divided) or sub 1 tablespoon dry thyme

Truffle Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup butter (or substitute-olive oil)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk (or sub 1/2 and 1/2 and water, or soy milk)
8 ounces gruyere- or white cheddar ( or a mix, about 3 cups shredded) please see notes.

1/4 cup pecorino cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard ( or sub-yellow mustard powder)
pinch nutmeg
Truffle oil to taste 1-3 tablespoons

Crispy Topping 

3/4 cup panko
1/4 cup pecorino or parmesan
1 tablespoon truffle oil

Optional: 2 handfuls chopped spinach

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.

Cook pasta: 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Cook to al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water, and place this back in the same pot, and coat with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

Saute Mushrooms: 

Simultaneously, saute the mushrooms and onions in an extra-large skillet with olive oil, over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season them with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry).

Crispy Topping: 

In a small bowl, mix the panko with ¼ cup pecorino cheese, and olive oil (or use more truffle oil) and remaining thyme.

Make the creamy truffle cheese sauce 

(You can do this also at the same time if you feel confident). Heat butter over medium heat and let it get golden (like brown butter) lower heat if need be. Once it smells deliciously nutty, whisk in the flour and cook for one minute. Add 1 cup of milk, and whisk over medium heat until it thickens noticeably. Whisk in remaining milk, and continue to heat, whisking often to almost a simmer,stirring so the bottom doesn’t burn. Once hot, lower heat to low- stir in the gruyere cheese, pecorino, salt, pepper, dijon and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ( or 1 teaspoon dry). Whisk until the cheese is completely incorporated and you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in truffle oil to taste. As all are different, start conservatively adding more as you like. Adjust salt– you want this to taste rich and slightly salty as the pasta will soak much of this up.

Combine: Pour the creamy Truffle Cheese Sauce over the drained pasta in the pot. Stir in 2/3rds of the sauteed mushrooms (saving some for the top). Stir in a handful or two of chopped spinach if you like-somehow this always makes me feel better- up to you. 😉

Taste. Adjust salt, pepper and truffle oil.

Assemble: Pour into a buttered 9 x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the panko mixture.

Bake uncovered in a 375F oven for 15 minutes, add remaining mushrooms to the top, and continue baking until bubbly and golden, another 10-15 minutes.

Notes:
If you like extra creamy Mac and cheese, reduce the pasta down to 12-14 ounces (versus the full pound).

Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents which can make the bechamel sauce grainy. I grated the gruyere in my food processor and the pecorino in the picture was freshly grated by our local market.

If making this vegan– to add more depth to the truffle cream sauce, consider adding miso paste, nutritional yeast or mushroom powder.

Lasagna

Lasagna

Ingredients
Sauce
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
2 large cloves minced garlic
8 ounces pancetta, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups good red wine, preferably Italian
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ pound ground sirloin
¼ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
2 eggs
10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried
2 large whole cloves garlic
½ cup flour
1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

Lasagna
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano
½ cup chopped parsley
1 pound mozzarella, grated
16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria 

Directions:
For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour. 

Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside. 

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. 

Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. 

Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. 

Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.