Mac and Cheese Recipe – Homemade Cheesy Pasta

Mac and Cheese, or cheesy pasta, is an easy and quick recipe that quickly conquered America. The characters from Friends and Home Alone love it!

The Origins of Mac and Cheese

Historians agree that tracing the very first mac and cheese recipe is nearly impossible, but the earliest versions appeared in 18th-century Northern Europe. Mac and cheese became a sensation in the United States in 1937 when Kraft Foods launched its ready-to-eat boxed version.
The little blue box has remained a bestseller ever since, even appearing in the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the TV series Friends. That said, homemade mac and cheese tastes far better than the boxed version. Here’s a classic Manhattan-style recipe to bring authentic New York flavor to your kitchen.

400 g (14 oz) pasta. Choose a shape that holds sauce well—elbow macaroni is traditional, but shells, farfalle, or rigatoni work just as well. Allow 100 g (3.5 oz) per person.
180 g (6.3 oz) cheddar cheese, cut into chunks. Use 90 g (3.2 oz) sharp aged cheddar for depth of flavor and 90 g (3.2 oz) mild cheddar for creaminess and richness. Cheddar quality makes all the difference—buy it from a cheese counter if possible.
75 g (2.6 oz) mild cheddar, grated, for topping.
500 ml (2 cups) milk.
40 g (1.4 oz) flour.
40 g (1.4 oz) butter.
Salt.
Pepper.

Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 8 to 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, cut the cheddar into chunks.
Melt the butter gently in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
When the butter begins to bubble, add the flour and stir.
Gradually pour in the milk at room temperature, stirring constantly.
Let the sauce thicken over low heat, stirring often.
Add the cheddar chunks.
Continue cooking over low heat, stirring, until the cheese melts completely.
Season generously with pepper. Add salt sparingly—the cheese already contains salt.
Pour the drained pasta into the sauce and toss until every piece is coated.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Transfer half the pasta mixture to a baking dish.
Sprinkle half the grated cheddar over the top.
Add the remaining pasta mixture and cover with the rest of the grated cheddar.
Bake for 15 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Enjoy!

You can prepare this dish a day ahead. To keep it creamy when reheated, add a little extra milk to the sauce so it’s slightly thinner. Cover and refrigerate.
When serving the next day, sprinkle breadcrumbs and small pieces of butter on top. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, followed by 5 to 10 minutes under the broiler.