Ingredients:

  • 12 oz Cavatappi or Large Elbow Macaroni
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 0.5 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups truffle-infused Cheddar or Gouda, shredded
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 tsp black truffle oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tbsp sea salt. Drop in your 12 oz of cavatappi and cook it for about 7-9 minutes, which should be roughly 2 minutes less than the box says. Note: We want 'molto al dente' because the pasta will continue to cook slightly when it hits the hot cheese sauce.
  2. Reserve the liquid. Before you drain the pasta, dunk a measuring cup into the pot and save 1 cup of that cloudy, starchy pasta water. Note: This is your liquid gold for adjusting the sauce's final texture.
  3. Start the roux. In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, melt your 2 tbsp of unsalted butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble gently. Note: Watch for that slight sizzle; you don't want it to brown.
  4. Whisk the flour. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp of all purpose flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Cook until the mixture looks pale and smells slightly nutty.
  5. Infuse the milk. Slowly stream in your 2 cups of 2% milk, whisking with your other hand like your life depends on it. Whisk until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Melt the cheese. Remove the saucepan from the heat entirely. Fold in the 1.5 cups of shredded truffle cheese and 0.5 cup of Parmesan. Stir gently until the cheese has completely vanished into the sauce.
  7. Add the creamy finish. Whisk in the 0.5 cup of room temperature Greek yogurt, the minced garlic, and that 0.25 tsp of nutmeg. Note: Adding yogurt off heat prevents it from curdling and keeps the sauce velvety.
  8. Combine and coat. Toss the drained pasta into the saucepan. If it looks too thick, add your reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir until every noodle is dripping with sauce.
  9. The final touch. Drizzle in the 1 tsp of truffle oil and sprinkle with the 0.5 tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp of fresh chives. Serve immediately while the aroma is at its peak.