Method

Pasta & Cooking

Preheat & Boil

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.

Cook Pasta

Cook campanelle until al dente according to package instructions (usually 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining. Do not rinse the pasta.

Cheese Sauce

Make Roux

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add 4 tablespoons flour and whisk continuously to form a smooth roux. Cook 1–2 minutes without browning to remove raw flour taste.

Add Milk & Cream

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream, a little at a time, until smooth. Continue to cook and whisk until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 4–6 minutes.

Season Sauce

Stir in 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed; keep sauce over low heat.

Add Cheeses

Remove sauce from heat. Add the grated cheeses in three additions: 1/3 of the cheeses, whisk until melted; repeat until fully incorporated. Keep warm but do not boil (boiling can make cheese grainy).

Add Truffle & Adjust Consistency

Whisk in 1 tablespoon black truffle paste (or finely minced black truffle). If using, add up to 1 teaspoon truffle oil for extra aroma—use sparingly. If sauce seems too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen to creamy consistency.

Assemble & Bake

Toss Pasta with Sauce

Combine drained campanelle with the hot cheese-truffle sauce in a large bowl or directly in the pot. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water (up to remaining 1/2 cup) as needed to achieve a creamy clingy sauce.

Fill Baking Dish

Transfer the sauced pasta into a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish (or two smaller ovenproof dishes). Dot the top with 1 tablespoon softened butter spread evenly to encourage browning.

Prepare Brioche Crust

In a small bowl, combine 1.5 cups brioche crumbs, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly moistened.

Top Pasta

Evenly sprinkle the brioche crumb mixture over the pasta, pressing lightly to adhere. Optionally shave a few thin slices of extra black truffle or dot with extra truffle paste over the crumb for an intense finish.

Bake

Bake in the preheated 400°F oven until the topping is golden and the cheese is bubbling around the edges, about 12–15 minutes. For extra color, broil 1–2 minutes while watching very closely to avoid burning.

Finish & Serve

Rest & Garnish

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. If desired, finish with a light drizzle of truffle oil (optional) and scatter sliced chives and additional shaved truffle or 1/2 tablespoon truffle paste for aroma.

Serve

Serve hot, spooning portions so each plate gets a crisp brioche crust and a generous amount of creamy truffled cheese sauce.

Truffle Mac-and-cheese Recipe