The best macaroni and cheese doesn’t have to come from fancy, expensive cheese. Learn how adding miso to cheese sauce enhances the flavor of your favorite everyday cheeses, like cheddar and jack. This mac and cheese recipe features tips and tricks to make light blonde roux, which acts as a thickener to a wonderful, velvety cheese sauce. Be sure to watch the companion YouTube video to see the complete dish.

Miso Macaroni and Cheese

Assembly

1 box of short-cut pasta (like penne or bow ties)

1 tsp salt, plus more for salting pasta water

1 16-ounce carton of half-n-half, room temperature

2 Tbl. white miso

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 Tbl. unsalted butter

4 Tbl. all purpose flour

1 lb grated cheese (like American, sharp cheddar, and jack)

1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Action

1. Cook one box of pasta according to package directions in liberally salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.
2. Mix half-n-half, salt, miso, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until fully incorporated. Allow to come to room temperature.
3. Melt 4 Tbl. unsalted butter in a medium pot with heavy bottom over medium heat. Make a roux by whisking in 1 Tbl. of flour at a time until fully incorporated, stirring continuously to avoid burning. Continue to stir as roux cooks; the butter-flour combination will smell nutty and darken slightly. Do not burn.
4. Slowly incorporate half-n-half mixture, whisking to prevent clumps. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Cook at medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
5. Fold in cheese in small batches, adding tablespoons of the reserved cooking water as needed to help melt cheese and create a thick glossy sauce. Stir often to ensure smoothness until ready to add to pasta.
6. Pour pasta into a large serving bowl or casserole pan. Pour cheese sauce over pasta in small increments, folding to coat pasta fully. Add as much or as little cheese sauce as you like. Serve.
7. Optional garnish: Crumbled baked prosciutto.