Tini Younger’s Mac and Cheese

• Details
• Ingredients
• Directions
• Additional Resources

A recipe by Julia Moskin from NYT Cooking: its ingredients and steps as published. The introduction, tips, photos and reader notes are on the original.

§Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 15 minutes
• 🍳 Cook time: 45 minutes
• ⏱️ Total time: 1 hour
• 🍽️ Servings: 8 to 10

§Ingredients

For the pasta:

• Butter, for greasing the dish
• Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
• 1 pound dried cavatappi pasta (or another hollow pasta such as elbows)

For the cheese sauce:

• 16 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, grated (about 4 cups), see Tip
• 16 ounces Colby Jack cheese, grated (about 4 cups), see Tip
• 8 ounces Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups), see Tip
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

For garnish:

• 1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)

§Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and salt it generously. Bring to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente (or 1 minute less than the full cooking time); remember, it will keep cooking in the oven so you don’t want it too soft. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella, Colby Jack, and cheddar.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Make the roux: Add the flour to the skillet and continue to stir until the mixture becomes a thick paste, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, a little at a time, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and mustard and whisk again until well combined.
6. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in 2½ cups of the grated cheese, allowing it to melt before adding another 2½ cups of the cheese (you should have 5 cups of grated cheese left in the bowl). Be patient. If your heat is too high, your sauce will break and curdle, which will make your sauce grainy. Continue to whisk until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta and make sure it’s completely coated with cheese sauce.
7. To your prepared baking dish, add a layer of cheesy pasta, then a layer of grated cheese, then continue layering, ending with the cheese on top, until you’ve used up all the pasta and cheese.
8. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes, then remove the baking dish from the oven. Move the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler (or more if needed for your pan to fit) and heat the broiler to high. Return the dish to the oven and broil until golden brown on top, about 2 minutes (watch closely to ensure it doesn’t burn). Sprinkle with the chives, if using. (For reheating instructions, see Tip.)

§Additional Resources

The original recipe at cooking.nytimes.com

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