Name: Truffled Mac & Cheese
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 1/2 lb Shiitake mushrooms; 1/2 lb Cremini mushrooms; 2 cloves Garlic cloves; 2 sprigs Parsley; 1/4 cup Cream sherry; 1 lb Cavatapi pasta; 1/2 cup All-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg; 4 cups Whole milk; 3 oz White truffle butter; 10 oz Gruyere cheese; 8 oz Extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese; 2 slices White bread

Ingredients

13 items

Shiitake mushrooms ¹/₂ lb
Cremini mushrooms ¹/₂ lb
Garlic cloves 2 cloves
Parsley 2 sprigs
Cream sherry ¹/₄ cup
Cavatapi pasta 1 lb
All-purpose flour ¹/₂ cup
Ground nutmeg ¹/₂ tsp
Whole milk 4 cups
White truffle butter 3 oz
Gruyere cheese 10 oz
Extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese 8 oz
White bread 2 slices

Prep

Before you start

Mushrooms - remove stems, slice caps thickly — if this feels fussy, good, that's usually where the magic lives.
Gruyere cheese - grate to yield 4 cups
Cheddar cheese - grate to yield 3 cups
White bread - remove crusts and dice to yield 1 1/2 cups
Garlic - rough chop
Parsley - mince to yield 3 tbl

Method

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat 2 tbl unsalted butter and 2 tbl oil in a large saute pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the sherry and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside.
Meanwhile, add 1 tbl salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil, while resisting the deeply human urge to fuss with it nonstop. Add the pasta, cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain, while acting like this outcome was inevitable.
Scald the milk (do not boil) in a medium saucepan. Melt the truffle butter in a large saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add the scalded milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thick and creamy. Off the heat, add the Grueyere, Cheddar, 2 tbl salt, 2 tsp pepper and the ground nutmeg.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, the cream sauce, and two thirds of the mushrooms and pour into a 10 x 13 x 2-inch ovenproof baking dish. Place the bread, garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process to make fine crumbs. Sprinkle the herbed crumbs evenly on the pasta and arrange the remaining mushrooms down the middle.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve hot.