Gino D'Acampo's macaroni cheese has a really Italian touch and is super cheesy and incredibly creamy and luxurious which is what we love most about it.
Treat the family to this Macaroni cheese (or maccheroni ai quattro formaggi) by Gino D'Acampo, packed with four different cheeses to get an ultimate, rich creamy sauce - it's the ultimate indulgence. It may not be quite diet-friendly, but served up with a portion of salad, it's a really great dinner choice - and occasionally there's nothing wrong with indulging! Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar and Gorgonzola are all featured in this recipe which makes it a real treat.
Ingredients
300g dried penne rigate or macaroni
150ml double cream
100g strong Cheddar cheese, grated
100g Gorgonzola, cut into small chunks
½ teaspoon paprika
2 mozzarella balls, drained and cut into chunks
3 egg yolks
150g frozen peas, defrosted
100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
WEIGHT CONVERTER
to
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Fill a large saucepan at least three-quarters full with water. Add in 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, stirring every minute or so. To get the al dente perfect bite, cook the pasta for 1 minute less than indicated in the packet instructions. Drain and return the pasta to the same pan, away from the heat.
Pour in the cream, along with the Cheddar and Gorgonzola cheeses then put the saucepan back over a very low heat and with the help of a wooden spoon start to mix the ingredients together for 30 seconds.
Take the pan off the heat again and add the paprika, mozzarella, egg yolks, peas and half the Parmesan cheese. Season with a little salt and stir everything together for 30 seconds.
Tip the pasta into a 25cm round ovenproof dish (or similar sized rectangular one) with sides at least 5cm deep. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes until it is bubbling and blistering on top.
Leave the maccheroni to rest out of the oven for 3 minutes before serving to your friends and family.
Top Tip for making Gino D'Acampo's macaroni cheese
Don't use buffalo mozzarella as it releases too much milk and the pasta will be soggy
Gino D’Acampo is a much-loved, cheeky TV chef who often appears on ITV’s popular daytime chat show This Morning.
Born into a large family in Napoli, Italy, Gino’s been working in kitchens since he was young and fell in love with the industry age 11 when he walked into his grandfather’s restaurant.
Gino’s Italian heritage has a huge influence on his recipes. From a classic margherita pizza to a four-cheese macaroni cheese with peas, we’re sure to have a Gino D’Acampo recipe your whole family will love!
With three children of his own it is perhaps no surprise that so many of Gino’s recipes are perfect for the hustle and bustle of a busy home.
As well as regularly appearing on This Morning to share his culinary skills and the odd cheeky joke or two, Gino has also had several TV shows of his own including most recently Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape which aired in November 2018 on ITV.
He also won over much of the nation back in 2009 when he was crowned winner of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Gino has several best-selling cookbooks out including Gino’s Pasta, Home Baking and Gino’s Italian Escape. At the heart of all of his recipes is the belief that good ingredients can speak for themselves.
On his website Gino explains: ‘My grandfather said that a good recipe doesn’t need lots and lots of ingredients because if the ingredients are top quality and full of flavour, why would you want to cover up or change their taste
Gino D'Acampo's low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake
Tomato, bean and basil pasta salad
Simple chorizo and tomato linguine with rocket
Annabel Karmel's trio of vegetables with tomato and basil
Annabel Karmel's cheesy carrot stars
Steak and salsa wraps
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Prince William and Prince Harry’s ‘favourite’ childhood meals are surprisingly ‘normal’ and easy to recreate for family dinners
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