Description
Ina Garten’s overnight mac & cheese delivers ultimate comfort with rich, creamy textures. Cheese lovers will savor this make-ahead dish that promises convenient, delicious results for family gatherings or casual dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4½ cups (1080 ml) heavy cream
- 12 oz (340 g) cavatappi pasta
- 3 cups (240 g) grated Gruyère cheese
- 1½ cups (120 g) grated sharp white Cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) unsalted butter, melted
- 2½ cups (300 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Cook pasta one day ahead in heavily salted boiling water for 4 minutes, ensuring a slightly undercooked texture. Drain completely and allow to cool at room temperature.
- Creamy Mixture Development: Whisk Gruyère, Cheddar, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl until thoroughly integrated, creating a luxurious base for the mac and cheese.
- Overnight Infusion: Gently incorporate cooled pasta into the cream mixture, coating each piece evenly. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, enabling flavor absorption and texture enhancement.
- Temperature Alignment: Remove pasta mixture from refrigerator one hour before baking, allowing it to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack positioned centrally.
- Baking Preparation: Butter a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish generously. Redistribute cream throughout pasta mixture, then transfer and spread evenly using a spatula.
- Cheese and Breadcrumb Topping: Sprinkle remaining Gruyère and Cheddar across the pasta. Toss breadcrumbs with melted butter and distribute uniformly over the cheese layer.
- Final Baking: Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating midway to achieve consistent golden-brown crispiness. Rest for 5 minutes after removing from oven to allow slight cheese setting before serving.
Notes
- Master Pasta Cooking: Undercook pasta by 2 minutes to prevent mushiness during overnight absorption and baking, ensuring perfect texture.
- Cheese Blend Strategy: Mix Gruyère and Cheddar for complex, rich flavor profile that melts smoothly and creates luxurious creamy consistency.
- Overnight Marination Magic: Refrigerate mac and cheese mixture for 24 hours to allow pasta to deeply absorb cream and cheese, intensifying taste and creating silky texture.
- Room Temperature Trick: Remove dish from refrigerator one hour before baking or gently warm to ensure even heating and prevent cold spots during baking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 49 g
- Saturated Fat: 30 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg