# Spicy Nduja Mac & Cheese

This is a spicy homemade mac & cheese with nduja and panko crust, perfect for a winter dinner party or cozy night at home.

- Total time: 30 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2.5 cups shredded gruyere
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided in half
- 1.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 0.33 cup grated parm
- 1.25 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 0.25 cup flour
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 1.5 cup heavy whipping cream
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- 4 ounces nduja or jarred Calabrian chili pepper

## Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish.
2. Combine the shredded cheddar and gruyere cheese and set aside.
3. In a microwave, melt 4 tbsp of the butter.
4. To a medium-sized bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs, grated parm, paprika, ".5" tsp salt, and 4 tbsp melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
5. Cook the elbow macaroni a few minutes shy of al dente, strain, and toss with olive oil.
6. Add 4 tbsp of butter to a heavy bottom pot and melt over low heat.
7. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour until it is lump-free and the roux is a golden/blonde color.
8. Slowly whisk in the whole milk and heavy whipping cream until lump-free.
9. Raise the temperature to medium and mix in 0.75 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, 0.5 tsp onion powder, and all the nduja or Calabrian chili pepper.
10. Once the nduja has dissolved, begin slowly adding 4.5 cups of the mixed cheddar and gruyere cheese.
11. Continue to whisk until the cheese has dissolved and the sauce has thickened.
12. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and remove from heat.
13. Add half of the pasta mixture to the baking dish.
14. Then add the remaining 2 cups of cheese, followed by the remaining pasta mixture.
15. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
16. Serve warm.

## Equipment

- pot
- whisk
- baking dish
- colander
- wooden spoon

## Tips

- For the panko crust, mix breadcrumbs, grated parm, paprika, 0.5 tsp salt, and 4 tbsp melted butter.
- Cook pasta a few minutes shy of al dente, strain, and toss with olive oil before adding to the sauce.
- The sauce should take about 5 minutes to thicken after adding the cheese.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Zq7JeEAtW/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/836230eb-a9c0-462e-a3ec-d677bdcdb5d6
- Extracted: 2025-10-28

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt