Y’all can’t imagine the nagging powers of Sister Cookie. She’s relentless. So when she started asking me about creating a gluten-free mac and cheese recipe for her, I knew she’d never stop until I appeased her. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally went to work on it this weekend.
Sister Cookie is a mac and cheese lover, and she wanted a gluten-free version she could make for her mother-in-law that everyone could enjoy. My answer was this Gluten-Free Italian Mac & Cheese.
This actually wasn’t too big of a gluten-free challenge. Gluten-free pasta is easy to find, so all I had to do was make a sauce that didn’t include a roux since they have flour. I created a thick and creamy stove-top sauce using a bit of cornstarch for thickening, and mascarpone cheese for extra richness. Between that, and a mountain of wonderfully melty cheese, we create a dreamy sauce that you’d never know is GF.
I used Fontina, aka the meltiest stuff on the planet, and a bit of parmesan for its flavor. These two make for a dynamic duo that coats every last GF noodles with a cheesy blanket. I might not even bother going back to making a roux for sauce after discovering the ease and creaminess of this recipe.
There’s one less thing for Sister Cookie to nag me about at least. Although, I’m sure she’ll find something else. That’s what big sisters do!
A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:
- You can add more cheese or try different combos. Just make sure you always have one melty cheese and one strong cheese. Check out this handy mac and cheese guide for more info.
- You can pick up GF pasta at almost any grocery store nowadays. I think Target’s Archer Farms is great.
- I recommend not rinsing pasta after you drain it so you don’t wash away those good starches.
- Mascarpone cheese can be found in the specialty cheese section.
Gluten-Free Italian Mac & Cheese
By The Smart Cookie Cook
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. gluten-free pasta
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese ***buy it and grate it YOURSELF; already grated cheese can have a de-clumping agent that is NOT gluten-free
- 10 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (see note above about parmesan)
- 2 tsp. fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
- Boil pasta according to box directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in cornstarch then immediately whisk in cream until free of clumps. Let simmer for two minutes.
- Whisk in mascarpone until melted and smooth then add the cheese and continue whisking until cheese is completely melted. Stir in basil, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly.
- Fold in pasta until evenly coated and enjoy.
