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An Italian twist on the classic mac & cheese. The hot Calabrian chili peppers, creamy fontina & parmesan cheese make for a great and flavorful mac & cheese. Just a hit of basil cuts through the flavors for a delicious pop of vibrancy. It’s a great recipe for potlucks or a typical weeknight meal.
I had a jar of Calabrian chili peppers just chilling out in my fridge (no pun intended). I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and he brought up the fact of how uncommon it is for me to make mac & cheese. An idea came to me at that very moment; why don’t I make a spicy mac & cheese with these chili peppers? Of course, the peppers are super hot (I’m a wimp when it comes to spice); I had thought about toning it down with a creamy and mild cheese. Fontina and gruyere came to my mind, however gruyere isn’t an Italian cheese, though the two pair together well. So I went the route of fontina and the ever classic parmesan cheese for this dish. When I had tested this, I felt it was lacking something. A break from the rich sauce, if you would. I had some leftover basil from a previous test recipe— chopped it up and added it to the mac & cheese. It turns out that the basil was just what it needed. It was so creamy, flavorful, comforting, and of course, spicy. An utterly delicious mac & cheese that you need to make right now. It’s a great break from the traditional mac & cheese you make on the regular.
How to make Calabrian Hot Pepper Mac & Cheese
This recipe is just as easy as making normal mac & cheese. You can top it off in the oven with a parmesan breadcrumb and some extra cheese if you wish. Try topping it with provolone or mozzarella and baking it!
- Medium Shells Pasta: I prefer this type of pasta over the elbow macaroni 9/10 times. It picks up the cheese sauce a little better. You can use elbows if you wish, or even try farfalle or rotini.
- Calabrian Chili Peppers: I use Delallo Calabrian chili peppers. Their products are always at the peak of quality, so I recommend using them.
- Unsalted Butter, Flour, & Milk: The 3 key ingredients for your bechamel base for the cheese sauce. This is totally compatible with gluten free flour if you have a gluten allergy.
- Yellow Onion & Garlic: Flavor boosters all around!
- Fresh Basil: This offers a delectable pop of vibrant herb flavors to cut through the cheese sauce. It also just belongs in this recipe.
- Shredded Fontina & Grated Parmesan Cheese: Fontina is a creamy Italian cheese with a mild but nutty profile. Parmesan cheese is a bit sharp & bold so it plays well with the fontina cheese.
- Heavy Cream: I add a bit of heavy cream to really get a creamy cheese sauce. You want the sauce to cling to the pasta, not drip to the bottom.
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder: I always add this to any mac & cheese that I make. It just offers more flavor.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat this in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You also microwave this; you will need to microwave the mac & cheese in 1 minute intervals, stirring occasionally so it heats through properly.
- Freeze: I personally haven’t tried freezing this, but that doesn’t mean its not entirely possible. I will get back on this.
- Variations:
- Use rotini, farfalle, or cavatappi instead of shell pasta. You can choose elbow macaroni, however I always feel it doesn’t pick up cheese sauce the best. The choice is yours, though.
- Crisp up some diced Italian salami, prosciutto, or pancetta in olive oil for a few minutes in a saute pan, then top off the mac & cheese with them.
- Add more or less chili peppers based on your spice level tolerance. The measurements in my recipe were based on my tolerance, making this recipe have a kick, but not a strong one.
- Transfer the mac & cheese to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375F. Shred extra fontina cheese, or shred provolone/mozzarella and sprinkle it on top of the mac & cheese. Mix together 1/2 cup breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle it on top and bake for 30 minutes until the mac & cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden.
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Calabrian Hot Pepper Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz medium shell pasta
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp chopped Calabrian chili peppers (such as Delallo), divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 8 oz fontina cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente—reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Transfer the drained pasta to the same pot you cooked it in and set aside.
- In a medium saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until just softened, then add in the garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour coats the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden in color.
- Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and milk. Whisk in 1 tbsp Calabrian chili peppers. Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Bring to a boil over high heat while whisking, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, whisking constantly so it doesn’t burn, or until thickened slightly. Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the fontina cheese and parmesan until melted and combined thoroughly. Stir in the remaining Calabrian chili peppers.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. If needed, add the pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Serve with extra basil.
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat this in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated. You also microwave this; you must microwave the mac & cheese in 1-minute intervals, stirring occasionally so it heats through properly.
- Freeze: I personally haven’t tried freezing this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entirely possible. I will get back on this.
Variations:
- Use rotini, farfalle, or cavatappi instead of shell pasta. You can choose elbow macaroni, however, I always feel it doesn’t pick up cheese sauce the best. The choice is yours, though.
- Crisp up some diced Italian salami, prosciutto, or pancetta in olive oil for a few minutes in a saute pan, then top off the mac & cheese with them.
- Add more or less chili peppers based on your spice level tolerance. The measurements in my recipe were based on my tolerance, making this recipe have a kick, but not a strong one.
- Transfer the mac & cheese to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375F. Shred extra fontina cheese, or shred provolone/mozzarella and sprinkle it on top of the mac & cheese. Mix together 1/2 cup breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle it on top and bake for 30 minutes until the mac & cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
663.24Fat (grams)
32.6 gSat. Fat (grams)
19.56 gCarbs (grams)
66.39 gFiber (grams)
3.51 gSugar (grams)
9.01 gProtein (grams)
26.19 gSodium (milligrams)
689.5 mgCholesterol (grams)
104.66 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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