Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

5 from 5 votes

This homemade Cavatappi Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food! A rich, ultra creamy, and 3-cheese sauce generously coats spiralized cavatappi pasta for the best baked mac and cheese ever. And why not add in a 4th layer of cheese with a crunchy Parmesan-Panko topping? This is a classic side dish turned up a notch!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 501

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

1 lb cavatappi pasta
¼ cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3-4 cloves garlic minced
3½ cups whole milk warmed
1 cup unsalted or low sodium chicken broth warmed
2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded; about 10 oz
1 cup Gruyere cheese shredded; about 3-4 oz
¾ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Spices

½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground mustard
Tiny pinch of ground nutmeg

Crispy Panko Topping

2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Par-cook cavatappi pasta for about 4-5 minutes, or half of package instructions. It should still be quite hard and very al dente. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat until lightly foamy. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes, constantly stirring.
Gradually pour in warm milk while whisking until smooth. Then repeat with the warm broth. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each and let simmer over medium-high heat for 8-12 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon at this point.
Turn off the heat. Add the cheddar, Gruyere, and mozzarella cheeses along with the spices if you're using them. Stir to melt the cheese, then add the pasta. Mix thoroughly and season to taste. Transfer the whole mixture to the casserole dish.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoon melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Then broil for an additional 3-5 minutes but make sure to keep an eye on it. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Replace whole milk with half and half or heavy cream for a thicker sauce. You can also replace the broth with additional cream.
Use your favorite cheeses!.Great melting cheeses include Gouda, fontina, Monterey Jack, American, and even Velveeta. For more tang and cream, try cream cheese.
To keep this vegetarian, use vegetable broth or additional milk in place of chicken broth.

Nutrition