I stole this recipe for Macaroni & Cheese (Maccheronial Formaggio) from a cookbook called Lidia’s Italy in America. This Italian version of macaroni and cheese is made with a variety of cheeses. Shredded fontina and cheddar cheeses are soaked in milk to soften before cooking. Toasted breadcrumbs line a buttered baking pan. Then the softened cheeses are cooked until melted and more cheese is added before mixing the cheese sauce with cooked pasta. After transferring the pasta to the baking pan, additional breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top. The macaroni and cheese finishes baking in the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss 3 cups grated fontina and 5 cups grated cheddar in a large bowl. Pour 4 cups milk over the cheese.

Let cheese and milk sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the cheese begins to break down and dissolve into the milk.

Grate day old Italian bread on coarse holes of box grater to get 1 ½ cups coarse bread crumbs. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. When melted, stir in bread crumbs and toss until crisp and toasted about 3 minutes.

Scrap crumbs into bowl and let cool. Butter a 15×10 inch baking pan. Coat bottom and sides with a thin layer of crumbs. Stir 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano into remaining crumbs.

Pour cheese and milk into pot over medium-low heat.

Cook until cheese melts, 7-8 minutes. Stir in 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Add in 1 lb cooked noodles and stir until pasta is coated with sauce.

Scrap pasta and cheese sauce into dish. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs over top.

Bake until browned and bubbly about 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

If you liked Macaroni & Cheese (Maccheronial Formaggio), you also try Company Special Macaroni & Cheese, Mac ‘N Cheese with Sausage or Gnocchi Mac and Cheese.

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Macaroni & Cheese (Maccheronial Formaggio)

This Italian version of macaroni and cheese is made with a variety of cheeses. Shredded fontina and cheddar cheeses are soaked in milk to soften before cooking. Toasted breadcrumbs line a buttered baking pan. Then the softened cheeses are cooked until melted and more cheese is added before mixing the cheese sauce with cooked pasta. After transferring the pasta to the baking pan, additional breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top. The macaroni and cheese finishes baking in the oven.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Mac and Cheese

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated Fontina
• 5 cups grated Cheddar
• 4 cups milk
• Salt
• 1 lb pipette – looks like a bent pipe
• 1 piece (3 – 4 inch) day old Italian bread 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups grated Grana Padaroo or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 4 large sage leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Toss the fontina and cheddar in a large bowl. Pour the milk over the cheese, let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the cheese begins to break down and dissolve into the milk.
3. Boil a large pot of water. Cook pasta 3-4 minutes less than package cooking time. Drain and return pasta to pot.
4. Grate bread on coarse holes of box grater to get 1 ½ cups coarse bread crumbs. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. When melted, stir in bread crumbs and toss until crisp and toasted about 3 minutes. Scrap crumbs into bowl and let cool. Butter a 15x10 inch baking pan. Coat bottom and sides with a thin layer of crumbs. Stir 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano into remaining crumbs.
5. Pour cheese and milk into pot over medium-low heat and whisk in sage leaves. Cook until cheese melts, 7-8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup grated cheese.
6. Pour cheese sauce into pasta pot; stir until pasta is coated with sauce. Scrap into dish. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs over top. Bake until browned and bubbly about 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

I omit the sage leaves.