Easy Stovetop 'Nduja Mac and Cheese Recipe

Gooey, spicy, meaty mac and cheese—all it takes is four pantry-friendly ingredients and 10 minutes of your time.

By
Sasha Marx
Sasha Marx
Senior Culinary Editor
Sasha is a senior culinary editor at Serious Eats. He has over a decade of professional cooking experience, having worked his way up through a number of highly regarded and award-winning restaurant kitchens, followed by years spent in test kitchens for food publications.
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Updated Apr. 01, 2020
20200225-four-ingredient-nduja-mac-and-cheese-vicky-wasik-8
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • The soft, spreadable texture and high fat content of 'nduja allows it to easily emulsify and meld into the sauce, giving our famous easy, creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese a spicy, meaty, funky kick.
  • Cooking in a small volume of water concentrates the starch from the pasta, helping the cheese form a creamy emulsion.
  • Evaporated milk contains proteinmicelles, which help keep an emulsified sauce smooth and creamy.
  • Every ingredient in this recipe has an extended, pantry-friendly shelf life, making this the perfect pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

It's hard to improve on the beautiful simplicity of Kenji'sthree-ingredient stovetop macaroni and cheese, known in some circles as the "6-6-6 mac," but if there's one ingredient that can easily meld into the mac mix, it's our favorite Calabrian sausage,'nduja.

“Nduja's high fat content allows it to quickly and easily emulsify into a creamy sauce with the evaporated milk and melty cheese in this four-ingredient recipe (well, technically six ingredients if you want to be like that, counting water to cook the pasta and a tiny pinch of salt to season it). All of the ingredients, including the 'nduja, have long shelf lives, making this a perfect pantry-friendly comfort food recipe for these uncertain times.

Recipe Facts

4

(4)

Active:10 mins
Total:10 mins
Serves:2 to 4 servings

Rate & Comment

华体会应用下载

  • 6 ounces (170g)elbow macaroni

  • Kosher salt

  • 6 ounces (180ml)evaporated milk

  • 6盎司(170g) grated mild or mediumcheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese, such as Fontina, Gruyère, or Jack

  • 2盎司(1/4 cup; 56g)'nduja(see notes)

Directions

  1. Place macaroni in a medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently with a heat-resistant flexible spatula to prevent pasta from sticking. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until water has been almost completely absorbed and macaroni is just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes.

    20200225-four-ingredient-nduja-mac-and-cheese-vicky-wasik-cooking-mac

  2. Immediately add evaporated milk, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Add cheese, stir to incorporate, then add 'nduja, continuing to stir to combine.

    20200225-four-ingredient-nduja-mac-and-cheese-vicky-wasik-adding-evap-milk-cheese-nduja

  3. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, until cheese is melted, 'nduja is fully emulsified, and liquid has reduced to a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary ('nduja is quite salty, so pasta shouldn't need any additional salt). Serve immediately.

    20200225-four-ingredient-nduja-mac-and-cheese-vicky-wasik-7

Special equipment

3-quart saucieror medium saucepan

Notes

“Ndujais a spicy spreadable porksalumethat originates from the southern Italian region of Calabria. In the US, it can be purchased at specialty shops that carry salumi/charcuterie, Italian markets, or online from producers likeTempesta Artisan Salumi. Look for 'nduja made with just four ingredients: pork, Calabrian chilies, salt, and lactic acid.

温和,少的nduja-forward mac和徐淑贞e, or if you're looking to make your 'nduja supply last as long as possible, reduce the amount of 'nduja by half, and use just 1 ounce (2 tablespoons; 28g).

Make-Ahead和存储

Macaroni and cheese is best enjoyed immediately.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
489 Calories
31g Fat
27g Carbs
26g Protein
Show Full Nutrition LabelHide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 489
% Daily Value*
Total Fat31g 39%
Saturated Fat 14g 72%
Cholesterol90mg 30%
Sodium1097mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein26g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 468mg 36%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 487mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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