Porcini Mac and Cheese
intro
Earthy, umami-rich dried porcini elevates ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese to luxe comfort food, with a crisp panko-parmesan top perfect for cozy autumn meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Rehydrate Porcini Mushrooms
Place 15g dried porcini mushrooms in the small heatproof clear glass bowl. Pour 240ml of just-boiled water over the mushrooms, ensuring they are fully submerged. Let steep for 15 minutes until soft, plump, and fully rehydrated. Lift mushrooms from the steeping liquid, then strain the reserved dark porcini liquid through the small fine-mesh stainless steel sieve to catch any fine grit, setting both mushrooms and strained liquid aside. Finely chop the softened porcini with the 8-inch chef’s knife on the acacia wood cutting board.
Cook Pasta Al Dente
Fill the 4-quart brushed stainless steel stock pot with 3 liters of heavily salted water (salty enough to taste like seawater) and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 225g elbow macaroni, stir once with the long-handled wooden spoon to prevent sticking, and cook for 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente recommended time (approximately 6 minutes total). Reserve 60ml of starchy pasta water in the clear glass measuring cup, then drain pasta and set aside; do not rinse, as surface starch helps sauce adhere to noodles.
Grate Cheese Blend
Use the standing stainless steel box grater to shred 200g sharp white cheddar and 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano on the largest grating holes, collecting shredded cheese in a loose pile on the acacia wood cutting board. Toss lightly to combine, then set aside 2 tablespoons of the shredded parmesan to mix with the breadcrumb topping later. Avoid pre-shredded cheese, as its anti-caking coating prevents a smooth sauce.
Build Creamy Sauce Base
Melt 45g unsalted butter in the 2-quart brushed stainless steel saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic clove and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic. Add 30g all-purpose flour, whisking constantly with the silicone whisk for 2 minutes to cook out raw flour taste, until the roux is pale golden and smells faintly nutty. Slowly pour in 480ml whole milk and the reserved strained porcini liquid, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Season with 1 tsp flaky sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and leaves picked from 1 sprig of fresh thyme.
Combine Pasta and Cheese
Remove the saucepan from heat. Gradually add the shredded cheese blend (holding back the reserved 2 tablespoons of parmesan for topping) a handful at a time, stirring with the long-handled wooden spoon until fully melted and smooth before adding the next handful. If the sauce feels overly thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of reserved starchy pasta water to thin to a pourable, velvety consistency. Add the chopped rehydrated porcini and drained cooked macaroni to the sauce, stirring gently until every noodle is evenly coated.
Add Breadcrumb Topping
Pour the cheese-coated macaroni mixture into the 20cm square matte cream ceramic baking dish, spreading it into an even layer with the wooden spoon. In the small matte cream ceramic ramekin, mix the reserved 2 tablespoons of parmesan with 30g panko breadcrumbs and leaves from the remaining thyme sprig, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the entire surface of the mac and cheese.
Bake Until Bubbly
Bake in a preheated 190C (375F) oven for 20 minutes, until the sauce is actively bubbling around the dish edges and the breadcrumb topping is deep golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set, which prevents runny mac and cheese when scooping.
Tips
2.Under-cook pasta by 2 minutes before baking: noodles will continue to soften as they absorb sauce in the hot oven, and starting with very al dente pasta prevents mushy, overcooked mac and cheese in the final dish.
3.Add cheese off the heat: stirring shredded cheese into boiling sauce will cause dairy proteins to separate, leading to a grainy, greasy sauce instead of a smooth, velvety texture.
OMG this porcini mac and cheese is a total game changer for our weekly family dinner! I was worried the earthy mushroom flavor would be too much for my picky 8 year old but he asked for seconds before I even sat down. SO good, will be making this on repeat this fall.
Brought this to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were literally coming up to ask for the recipe before I even finished serving my own plate! The porcini adds such a deep, rich umami kick that regular mac just can’t compete with. 10/10.
Made a big batch of this for my weekly meal prep and it held up perfectly all 5 days in the fridge! I did add a little extra breadcrumb topping for crunch, but even without it the cheese sauce is so creamy and flavorful. Great recipe, no notes.
Pretty solid mac and cheese! I love porcini so I was excited to try this, though I will say it took me a little closer to 45 minutes total instead of the 35 listed since I had to rehydrate the dried porcini first. Flavor was spot on though, would make again.
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner last night and he said it’s the best homemade mac he’s ever had! I used a mix of sharp cheddar and gruyere like the recipe suggested and the porcini bits scattered throughout are chef’s kiss. Yum!
Loved the base recipe when I tested it last week! Has anyone tried making this with fresh porcini instead of dried? I have a bunch from the farmers market this week and don’t want to waste them, but I’m worried it’ll change the flavor too much!
This was so tasty but I will say the difficulty feels a little higher than medium for me? I messed up the roux the first time and had to start over, oops. Ended up delicious anyway though!
Just made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with a hot plate and it came out insane!!! Who needs dining hall mac when you can have fancy porcini mac for a fraction of the takeout price? Obsessed.
I made this for a friend last weekend and it was incredible! Is there an easy swap for the regular all purpose flour here? I have celiac and would love to make a GF version for our next game night with friends.
Made this as a side for our Sunday smoked brisket dinner and it paired so much better than I thought it would! The deep porcini flavor stands up really well to smoky meats, will be a new cookout staple for us.
I added a handful of sautéed spinach to this to sneak in some extra veggies and it was chef’s kiss! The earthy spinach pairs so nicely with the porcini and creamy cheese, I’ll definitely do that every time now.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s amazing! Quick question — how well do the leftovers reheat? I don’t want to make a whole pan for meal prep if it gets grainy after a day in the fridge, that’s my least favorite mac and cheese problem.
The flavor of this is absolutely 5 stars, but wait — does this recipe have a crispy breadcrumb top? I will fight anyone who says baked mac doesn’t need a crunchy topping, that’s non negotiable for me lol.
Made this for date night last night and my partner literally proposed (joking… mostly) after the first bite. The porcini makes it feel so fancy but it’s actually pretty low lift for a special meal! 10/10.
Wait this is good but I felt like it needed a little kick? Next time I’m adding a pinch of cayenne and maybe some caramelized onions to bump up the flavor even more. Don’t get me wrong, the base is great, I just love extra layers of flavor!
My kids loved it!!! I was so nervous the mushroom flavor would be a turn off but they didn’t even complain about the “fancy bits” in their mac. This is going into the regular weeknight rotation for sure, even if it takes a little more effort than the boxed stuff.
I’ve made this three times now and it’s always a hit! Has anyone tried freezing this? I make a bunch of freezer meals ahead of busy work weeks and it would be amazing to have this on hand for nights I don’t feel like cooking.