Mozzarella Mac and Cheese

Name: Mozzarella Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean, European
Ingredients: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 pound (16 ounces) cavatappi pasta (or similar short-cut pasta); 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter; 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour; 6 cups (1.44 kilograms) 2% or whole milk, at room temperature; 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella; 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese; 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Parmesan; 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce; 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling; A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

7 steps

Prep:45minCook:30min

This is an easy-to-make Molly Yeh recipe. I have adjusted the ratio of cheeses in my version. I will add a teaspoon of garlic salt to the sauce next time.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:07:24 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories500.6 kcal (25%)

Total Fat23.2 g (33%)

Carbs50.3 g (19%)

Sugars9.4 g (10%)

Protein21.9 g (44%)

Sodium425.9 mg (21%)

Fiber2.2 g (8%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

10 servings

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 poundcavatappi pasta

or similar short-cut pasta

½ cupunsalted butter

½ cupall-purpose flour

6 cups2% milk

or whole, at room temperature

2 cupsmozzarella

shredded

½ cupswiss cheese

¾ cupParmesan

½ cuppanko breadcrumbs

2cloves garlic

minced

½ teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes

extra-virgin olive oil

for drizzling

fresh basil leaves

torn

Instructions

Step 1

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

OvenPreheat

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the noodles and cook to al dente per the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 3

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute. Add the milk, a cup at a time, whisking or stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until thickened.

Step 4

Add the mozzarella, Swiss and 1/2 cup Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper. At this point if you want to add fun mix-ins like cut-up hot dogs, crispy bacon, peas or hot sauce, now’s the time to do so.

Step 5

Stir in the noodles. It may seem overly saucy at this point, but once it bakes up, it’ll be perfect!

Step 6

Pour into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Dollop all over with the pizza sauce. In a medium bowl, toss the breadcrumbs, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle all over the mac and cheese.

Step 7

Bake until browned and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and enjoy!