This Italian Mac and Cheese Is made with 4 Italian cheeses combined to make a delicious depth of flavors in a baked mac and cheese that will quite literally, "knock your socks off." It's topped with pancetta and breadcrumbs for extra crunch and texture.
If you love Mac and Cheese and you're looking for more side dishes, check out our Lemon Spinach Orzo and Creamy Mushroom Truffle Risotto.
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Best Cheese for Italian Mac and Cheese
I've had plenty of different types of mac and cheese in my life whether it be creamy, cheesy, stringy, sharp, mushy, salty, or spicy. Every macaroni and cheese has its merits and in my wife's words, "you never turn down any mac n cheese."
In a lot of Italian mac and cheese recipes, I've noticed people use cheddar. Cheddar is just a common denominator in mac and cheeses. I wanted to use all Italian cheeses though and recipe tested several times with different quantities of these 4 types of cheese.
- Provolone
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Fontina
The wrong combination or too much of a certain cheese like mozzarella could result in a mac and cheese that becomes way too stringy.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Mozzarella was a no brainer. You have to have mozzarella in mac and cheese. It is what gives you the cheese pull. Mozzarella is created using a process called pasta filata in which rennet is used to break down the casein proteins and create cheese curds. The pasta filata is the process of placing the cheese curds into hot salty water which unravels the protein chain and creates the "cheese pull." The curd is then stretched and compressed to create what we know as mozzarella.
I wanted a stinky cheese. Something a little sharp. Provolone was the perfect bit for that. You could also substitute Asiago in place of Provolone for a little bit more sharp and less pungent.
Fontina is low-key one of my favorite kinds of cheese. It's so creamy and mushroomy and is a great cheese for melting.
Parmesan is the final cheese and although I used domestic parmesan, it still adds an extra salty flavor to the mac and it is one of my favorites. Plenty of cheese snobs will tell you how bad American parmesan is. But my number one rule is, "there is no such thing as bad cheese." Quote me on that.
Pancetta. You could substitute guanciale if you have that. I would avoid bacon in this recipe mainly because it takes away from the Italian feel.
Step-by-Step Directions
My favorite part of this mac and cheese is the little bits of crunchy fried pancetta. Besides the 4 Italian kinds of cheese, the pancetta is what fills your mouth with that burst of savory flavor.
Start by chopping the pancetta into ¼-inch small squares. Add the pancetta into a COLD PAN. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Fry low and slow until golden brown, about six minutes. Then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to drain the grease and set aside.
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Step 1: Melt the butter in the saucepan and stir until the foaming stops. Combine the equal parts of butter and flour in the pan.
Step 2: Use a whisk to combine them until they are completely combined and look like this.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the water is boiling add salt and boil the pasta to al dente. Strain the pasta and set aside.
Step 3: Add the milk to the roux and mix well. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
Step 4: Slowly start stirring all of the cheese into the milk. Save half of the parmesan to sprinkle on top.
Pro-Tips
- I like to make sure my pasta finishes boiling after my cheese is nice and melty and ready for the pasta. The pasta should be nice and hot when you mix it in with the cheese.
- Pancetta should always be cooked from a cold pan to a hot one. Adding it to a hot pan will result in uneven rendering of the fat and burnt meat.
Step 5: Pour the pasta in and stir it well. Combine half of the pancetta with the pasta. The cheese will be extremely stringy at this stage. That's normal.
Step 6: Pour the pasta into a baking tray and top with breadcrumbs combined with the rest of the parmesan. Then top with the rest of the pancetta.
Step 7: Place the mac and chees in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. When you remove it, the cheese should be bubbling up all around the edges of the dish.
This is the perfect cheesy, Italian, robust mac and cheese out there. It's the real deal with a combination of decadent and nutty flavors that will not disappoint.
This is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any family get-together. You can make this dish prior and bake it wherever the party is for an amazing side dish that people won't forget.
FAQs
Fontina is a no-brainer. It's the perfect creamy melty cheese without being too stringy. Mozzarella is great because it gives you the cheese pull you see in every Instagram video. Parmesan gives mac and cheese a salty and savory flavor. Provolone and Asiago provide sharp and pungent flavors.
In some cases, yes. It mainly depends on the types of cheese you're using. You can make a stovetop cheddar mac and cheese without needing to bake it. But if you're using mozzarella, it's best to bake it, otherwise it will be way too stringy to eat.
Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals.
What to serve Mac and Cheese with
- Mac and cheese always goes great with chicken dishes like Fennel Chicken Thighs, Cast Iron Chicken Breast, or Italian Chicken Cutlets.
- It also needs to be served with a vegetable to balance out all this ooey gooey cheese like Italian Lacinato Kale, Italian Cabbage, or Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts.
Video Recipe
Other Cheesy Italian Pastas
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📖 Recipe
REAL Italian Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 large pyrex dish
Ingredients
- 12 oz macaroni elbows
- 8 oz mozzarella
- 8 oz fontina
- 6 6 oz provolone
- 1 cup parmesan
- 2 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 6 tablespoon flour
- ⅓ lb pancetta, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¾ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Fry chopped pancetta starting in a cold pan heating to medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. Remove the oil from the pan.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil and boil pasta until al dente. Strain and set aside. Preferably do this while you are making cheese mixture so that the pasta will stay hot.
- Bring a pan to medium heat and add butter. Melt butter and stir until the foaming stops. Once the foaming stops, sprinkle in the flour while stirring. Stir until the flour is completely incorporated. Pour in milk and whisk well. Bring to a low simmer. Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Add all of the cheese in slowly stirring with the milk until completely melted. Save half of the parmesan. It will be very stringy. Stir in half the pancetta. Then add in macaroni and mix well.
- Transfer to a Pyrex dish and top with breadcrumbs, parmesan, and the rest of the pancetta. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then garnish with parsley.
Notes
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- I like to make sure my pasta finishes boiling after my cheese is nice and melty and ready for the pasta. The pasta should be nice and hot when you mix it in with the cheese.
- Pancetta should always be cooked from a cold pan to a hot one. Adding it to a hot pan will result in uneven rendering of the fat and burnt meat.
Beth Rossi says
Made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Left the pancetta out for Christmas as l served with ham, still delicious. This is my new go to macaroni and cheese recipe. Always comes out good!
Tonia says
I am going to make this today and wondering if I can make it ahead of time and put it assembled into the fridge and bake it in the oven later tonight? Would I add the breadcrumbs right before baking?
Thanks!
Vinny says
I have a feeling this will change the overall texture and make for mushier macaroni. I definitely would add the breadcrumbs right before baking if I tried this. Let me know how this goes. Now that you brought it up I would like to test this.
Vinny says
Salty and creamy. The crunchy pancetta on top makes the recipe. My whole family loves this one and I hope you do too!
coma says
I loved it to it was super tasty