Garlic Parmesan Mac and Cheese
Upgrade your mac and cheese game with this gourmet Garlic Parmesan Mac and Cheese recipe. Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with garlic!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 571kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi pasta
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter
- 5 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (490 g / 16 ounces) whole milk
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ block (4 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
- 1 ½ cups (169.5 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) parmesan cheese, grated, divided
- 1 cup (108 g) plain breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente, according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Then, drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and garlic. Whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.
- Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Then, reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the garlic powder, salt, ground mustard, pepper, and cream cheese. Whisk until the cream cheese is completely melted.
- Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted. If the sauce feels too thick, stir in a small amount of reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- To a small bowl, add the remaining mozzarella cheese, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and paprika. Mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the cheesy pasta, spreading it out in an even layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese and topping are bubbling and lightly golden. For an extra-crispy crust, broil on high for 2-3 minutes at the end, keeping a close eye to avoid burning.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 571kcal