There is nothing typical about this mac & cheese. The mac & cheese element is super creamy with bold flavors from sharp cheddar and gruyère and the tuscan twist adds in browned Italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes and kale that makes for a filling and satisfying bowl of creamy, cheesy goodness.
Let’s get it started…
Start by gathering, 16 ounces of pasta (I love using fusilli for this recipe), 16 ounces of Italian sausage, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 4 cups of whole milk, 5 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, 8oz gruyère, 8oz sharp cheddar, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 6 tablespoons of butter, 1/3 cup of flour and 4-5 large kale leaves.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over medium heat. If you are using loose ground Italian sausage, just break it up in the skillet as it cooks. I couldn’t find loose ground sausage this time, so I removed the sausage casing and broke up the sausage as I dropped it into the skillet.
Once the sausage is brown and crispy and transfer it onto a plate and set it aside for now.
While the sausage is cooking, shred 8 ounces of gruyère and 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese. One of the most important elements of great mac & cheese is shredding your own cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to prevent the shreds from clumping together during storage and this also prevents the cheese from melting down fully. Pre-shredded cheese never gets as smooth and creamy as the block cheese does, so it is definitely worth the effort.
Plus… you can get a head start on burning some of the calories you are about to take in…
To prepare the pasta, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Once boiling, add a big pinch of salt to the water and then cook your pasta according to the manufactures directions.
While the pasta is boiling, finely mince your garlic (it smells so good…)…
Grab your biggest pot (this is what everything will eventually come together in) and place it over medium heat. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the pot and then add your minced garlic. Cook the garlic for about 60 seconds, stirring constantly. You want the garlic to become very fragrant and soften just a bit.
Now sprinkle 1/3 of a cup of all purpose flour over the melted butter and garlic and whisk until it is fully combined and the mixture no longer smells like raw flour. This should take another 2 minutes or so.
Add 4 cups of whole milk and whisk it vigorously to incorporate the flour mixture. Next, whisk in 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Let the milk and cream mixture cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken and then transfer the pot onto a heat proof surface, such as a wooden cutting board.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the thickened sauce and then start whisking in the shredded cheese. Add a big handful, whisk until it has melted and then add a little more.
Once all of the cheese has been added, stir in the browned Italian sausage, 5 ounces of thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes and the chopped kale.
Grate a little parmesan over this luscious pasta and serve immediately…
This tuscan mac & cheese is incredible. The sharp cheddar and gruyère combination is smooth and creamy and generously coating every element of the dish. The fusilli is a great choice for the pasta, because each little ridge holds a healthy amount of cheesy goodness that you will absolutely love.
The Italian sausage brings a heartiness to this creamy pasta. It adds texture and spice that balances out the smooth, cheesy sauce. The sun dried tomatoes add a subtle sweetness and the kale not only brings its strong earthy flavors, but a bright pop of green that I love.
Grating a little salty parmesan over everything is highly recommended!
I hope you enjoy this great tuscan twist on classic mac & cheese and maybe it inspires you to try other add ins that you love… grilled chicken, crispy pancetta, spinach… have fun with it!
Enjoy!
Tuscan Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta (or something similar)
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces Gruyere
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 4-5 large kale leaves, stems removed, chopped
- 5 ounces sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- salt and black pepper
- parmesan, grated (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over medium heat
- Add 16 ounces of Italian sausage and cook until browned and set aside
- Shred 8 ounces of gruyère and 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese and set them aside
- Chop 4-5 leaves of kale into small pieces and discard the stems. Set the chopped kale aside
- Bring a large pot of water up to a rolling boil
- Add a large pinch of salt and 16 ounces of dried pasta to the boiling water
- Boil pasta according to directions of the box and once the pasta is done, drain it and set it aside
- Add 6 tablespoons of butter into a separate large pot and place it over medium heat
- Once the butter has melted, add 3 finely minced cloves of garlic and cook, stirring consistently, for 60 seconds
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour over the melted butter and garlic and whisk to combine
- Cook the flour, whisking consistently, for about 2 minutes
- Add 4 cups of whole milk, 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of sour cream and whisk until everything is fully incorporated
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken (4-5 minutes)
- Once the milk and cream have thickened, transfer the pot onto a heat proof surface and add a pinch of salt and black pepper
- Whisk in the shredded cheese, a little at a time, until 8 ounces of shredded gruyère and 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar have been fully incorporated and melted
- Stir in the browned Italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes and chopped kale
- Garnish with some grated parmesan (optional)
- Serve immediately
