French Truffle Macaroni And Cheese Recipe

Creamy, nutty, and cozy.

On menus across France, you can often find the small "coquillette" pasta, a smaller version of the American-style macaroni, with tiny bits of ham mixed in.

In late 2019, my son was attending university in Lyon and came home for a brief break. He loves my cold-weather comfort foods and asked for macaroni and cheese for dinner. I decided to go the extra mile and make this dish, as he also is a big fan of truffles.

Foraging for mushrooms is a popular autumn hobby in France. Individuals unsure if their treasures are edible can take the mushroom to their local pharmacy for evaluation. And the farmer's markets begin to overflow with incredible varieties that I have never seen before.

Tips & Inspiration

Don't forget your stretchy pants!

1. When To Buy Truffle Cheese
   In France, you can often find truffle-infused cheeses mid-autumn through winter.

2. Types Of Truffle Cheese In France
   Neufchâtel, brillat savarin, moliterno, camembert, tomme, and brie are all popular cheeses to infuse with the mushroom.

3. Sourcing Ingredients
   If you have difficulty finding truffle-infused goat cheese for this recipe, don't worry. Try to find a cheese with truffle that isn't too creamy.

4. Can't Find Truffle Cheese?
   If you can't find truffle-infused cheese near you, a few slices of truffle or a bit of extra truffle oil will do the trick.

5. Shopping For Truffle Products
   While in Paris, I suggest shopping at Artisan de la Truffe. This company offers all the truffle ingredients you need and worldwide shipping.

6. Truffle Experience
   While in Paris, both the Grande Epicerie and the Galeries Lafayette food court offer fantastic truffle dining experiences that don't break the bank.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of macaroni or coquillette pasta

• 3-5 cremini mushrooms

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1.5 cups of whole milk

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• 2 tsp truffle oil

• 3/4 tsp truffle salt

• 8 ounces of truffle infused tomme or chevre cheese

• 1/2 cup emmental cheese

• 1/2 cup comté cheese

• Optional: 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Crumb Topping

• 3 tbsp bread crumbs

• Truffle oil

• Truffle salt

• Fresh cracked pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly butter your baking dish. I prefer to use an enameled cast iron like this.

3. Trim the stems and finely dice the mushrooms. In a dry saucepan, sauté the mushrooms (stirring constantly so they don't burn!), until they lose their moisture and start to turn dark. Be patient with this part.

4. Add the flour & butter and cook slowly on med-low heat for a minute or two but don't let it brown. This will thicken the sauce.

5. Slowly add in the milk, cream, & evaporated milk. Turn up the heat and whisk, stirring constantly, until it just starts to simmer. Don't let it boil!

6. Turn off the heat and add the truffle oil & salt.

7. Add the cheeses (and mustard, if you like) and stir gently until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

8. Gently fold in your al dente pasta and add your yummy mac & cheese to the baking pan.

9. For the breadcrumbs, barely moisten them with the truffle oil, add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Enjoy!