Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese – One Pot Pasta
One pot, six ingredients and 20 minutes is all it takes to get smoked Gouda mac and cheese on the dinner table tonight! This hearty one pot pasta is loaded with smoky cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy, dreamy sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and you’ve got an elevated version of mac and cheese that your kids will still love!
You Will Love This
- It’s the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner when you’ve got a million things going on and a very hungry family! The ingredient list is short and sweet is so is the cook time, which has made this meal a family favorite in our house! It also doesn’t require whisking all purpose flour and unsalted butter together to make a roux because the starch from the pasta is going to thicken the sauce right in the pot!
- The flavors are amazing. Smoked Gouda is an amazing cheese (and one of my personal faves) and this pasta dish showcases it perfectly! The sun dried tomatoes do a great job cutting the richness of the pasta, yet pair really well alongside the smoky flavor of the cheese. The fresh parsley at the end adds a little brightness to the whole dish and takes the flavors to the next level.
- If you loved this mac and cheese recipe, be sure to check out my:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta – For this gouda mac and cheese recipe I used cavatappi. It’s perfect spirals allow the cheese sauce to cling to every nook and cranny of the noodle. Feel free to use your favorite short cut of pasta for this recipe.
- Veggie Broth – Veggie broth helps thin out the sauce so it doesn’t get too heavy. You could also use chicken broth if you’re not worried about keeping this dish vegetarian.
- 2% Milk/Heavy Cream – I use 2% milk most often because that’s what we’ve got on hand most often, but if you’ve got heavy cream that will take the cheesy sauce to the next level! You could also sub whole milk for the 2% milk.
- Smoked Gouda Cheese – Smoked Gouda has a fantastic, smoky flavor, and is soft enough to melt easily and become nice and creamy. It totally ups the mac and cheese game! You can use regular Gouda as well! If you can’t find Gouda, sub with Fontina cheese.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Sun-dried tomatoes add a slight sweet, tangy, earthy flavor that perfectly complements the smoked Gouda. If you’re not a big fan, chop or blitz the sun-dried tomatoes really small so you get the flavor without the large pieces, or omit them completely.
Instructions
Add uncooked pasta, sun dried tomatoes, smoked Gouda, vegetable broth, 2% milk, salt and pepper to a large pan over medium high heat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer the mixture (don’t boil!), uncovered, for 10 minutes.
One the pasta is al dente, stir in fresh chopped parsley, season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper and enjoy!
Types of Pasta
I LOVE to use cavatappi in this Gouda mac and cheese recipe. I like the spiral shape and the way the sauce clings to every nook and cranny. I prefer to use smaller cuts of pasta (as opposed to spaghetti or fettuccine noodles) for my Mac and cheese recipes. Some of my other favorites for this recipe include:
Variations
Use this recipe as a blueprint and make it your own! Some of our favorite variatios include:
- 1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard powder, garlic powder, or paprika (mixed right in with everything)
- a sprinkle of toasted Panko breadcrumbs on top
Tips
- If you have picky eaters, use a food processor or sharp knife to mince the sun dried tomatoes into tiny pieces before adding them to the pasta. This will make them blend in more easily with the sauce which will make them less noticeable to the kiddos.
- Taste your noodles throughout the cooking process. Noodles can go from perfectly al dente to mushy and gummy in a quick minute. Be sure to snag a noodle here and there while you’re pasta is cooking so you can pull it off the heat as soon as the noodles are cooked through but still have a toothsome bite.
- If your noodles are not cooked al dente yet but the sauce is reducing too much, feel free to add a splash of milk or cream throughout the cooking process. You’re looking for a thick, creamy sauce that really coats every nook and cranny of the noodle.
- Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken a bit as it cools so you may need to add a splash of milk or cream even after the pasta has finished cooking just to keep things loose.
- Season. Season. Season. With an ingredient list this short, salt and pepper will need to be used liberally to really elevate the simple flavors of this smoked Gouda mac and cheese.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store leftover Gouda mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheat: Reheat mac and cheese in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add a splash of water or cream to loosen it up. Cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper before serving!
FAQ
Yes! Gouda is a soft cheese that, especially when grated, melts perfectly. It’s got a delicious nutty flavor and a smooth, creamy texture when melted which makes it perfect for macaroni and cheese!
Gouda! Gruyere can be a bit stringy and has a flavor very similar to Swiss cheese, while smoked Gouda is a very smooth cheese with a richer almost nutty or caramel flavor that melts perfectly into a creamy sauce.
The most popular cheeses for mac and cheese are Gouda, sharp cheddar cheese, and Monterey jack. These can be combined or used separately and sometimes a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese is added in as well. Sharp white cheddar is a fun cheese for mac and cheese too!
Serve Pasta With
Easy Pasta Dinner Recipes
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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
One pot, six ingredients and 20 minutes is all it takes to get a delicious, homemade dinner on the table tonight! This hearty one pot pasta is loaded with flavors of smoked Gouda and sun dried tomatoes in a creamy, dreamy sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 oz. uncooked pasta
- 2.5 cups veggie broth
- 3/4 cup 2% milk (or 1 cup heavy cream)
- 4 oz. smoked Gouda, shredded
- 1/2 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except parsley) in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Then turn heat to medium low.
- Simmer uncovered over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are cooked al dente. Stir every few minutes to make sure the noodles and tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
If you have picky eaters, use a food processor or sharp knife to mince the sun dried tomatoes into tiny pieces before adding them to the pasta. This will make them blend in more easily with the sauce which will make them less noticeable to the kiddos.
Taste your noodles throughout the cooking process. Noodles can go from perfectly al dente to mushy and gummy in a quick minute. Be sure to snag a noodle here and there while you’re pasta is cooking so you can pull it off the heat as soon as the noodles are cooked through but still have a toothsome bite.
If your noodles are not cooked al dente yet but the sauce is reducing too much, feel free to add a splash of milk or cream throughout the cooking process. You’re looking for a thick, creamy sauce that really coats every nook and cranny of the noodle.
Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken a bit as it cools so you may need to add a splash of milk or cream even after the pasta has finished cooking just to keep things loose.
Season. Season. Season. With an ingredient list this short, salt and pepper will need to be used liberally to really elevate the simple flavors of this smoked Gouda mac and cheese.
This post was originally published in November of 2018. It was updated in March 2022 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions and tips for making the best smoked Gouda mac and cheese every single time!
I don’t guess I did this right. The cheese coagulated into clumps and stuck to the pot. What do you think happened? Also, it was very watery as the liquid didn’t evaporate much.
From what you’ve reported, it sounds like the dish was cooked at too high of a temperature and likely was boiling instead of simmering gently. Gently simmering the sauce and noodles allows the noodles to cook while the sauce thickens. This also ensures that the dish doesn’t get too warm and make the cheese clumpy when it’s added. If cheese is added to something that’s too hot it will clump instead of melt. Next time, make sure your sauce/noodles are just simmering and then add the shredded cheese. Hope that helps!
I just made this too following your recipe and I’m confused. In the recipe it says to combine everything together and bring to gentle simmer? But this comment you’re saying add cheese after? I did it as per the original recipe and mine cuddled and clumped. And no it wasn’t high temperature because I watched it the entire time…once it started boiling, the cheese/milk was already “splitting”/curdled by then 🙁
Hi Chris! I was offering Karen another option for making the dish to ensure that the cheese doesn’t turn grainy next time. If the recipe is followed and the pasta dish is only brought to a gentle simmer, it will not curdle or become grainy. You mention that you watched it the entire time and once it started “boiling” the cheese was curdled. This pasta dish should NOT be brought to a boil; only to a gentle simmer. Because you brought it to a boil, it became too hot and then curdled/split/became grainy/etc. Hope that helps to clarify. Thanks for reaching out!
Thanks for your reply but when I said it started boiling, I just meant bubbles started to come up finally. And my point was, even before the first bubble appeared, it already curdled. So I’m really confused by that because that would mean the temperature was already too high before it started simmering?
I see – thanks for clarifying! Yeah it’s hard to say then. If it wasn’t from the heat being too high then perhaps the ingredients you were using weren’t fresh and had gone bad? I can’t see any reason why milk would curdle in a the pot before it even gets warm, ya know? Certainly adding this mixture of ingredients to a pot isn’t going to instantly make it curdle. Unfortunately it seems that I can’t troubleshoot this one for you. I’d recommend buying fresh ingredients and maybe using heavy cream instead, which can be warmed to a much higher temp without breaking than milk. Hope that helps!
Can you use anything besides vegetable broth?
You could use chicken broth in its place! You want to use a liquid with more flavor than just water which is what makes broth the perfect ingredient!
Absolutely amazing. Doubled the recipe, did half smoked Gouda and half mexican blend along with broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and bacon. It was a whole delicious meal. This is definitely getting added to our rotation. Thank you ❤
Oh my god this is SO GOOD! And insanely easy! I just randomly happened across this recipe looking for something quick and pasta-y to make for dinner. This is seriously so good. I used vegan versions of everything since I don’t do dairy (almond milk and the whole foods brand of smoked gouda plant based cheese) and didn’t have to make any alterations or adjustments to anything, all 1 for 1 subs! I also used chickpea pasta instead of regular. Will definitely make this again and again!
I’m SO glad you enjoyed this recipe Sarah! And how nice to know that you can sub 1:1 ratios of everything for vegan products!! I might have to add that to the recipe notes… This pasta is in our monthly rotation because the one thing my toddler will ALWAYS eat is noodles! Again, I’m so happy liked this one – and were able to customize it to fit your lifestyle! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Seriously one of my favorite one pot pasta recipes from the blog – so delicious, quick and easy!