In Questlove’s cookbook, Mixtape Potluck, the Roots drummer and frontman rounds up celebs’ best recipes. Rapper Q-Tip’s mac and cheese, Questlove writes, is “calibrated . . . to perfection. Seriously, I’ve never had better.”
Q-Tip’s mac and cheese recipe
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups grated Asiago cheese
- 1½ cups grated white cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups grated American cheddar
- 1 cup grated fontina cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced into rings
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 large egg yolks, whisked
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use butter to grease a 10-by-10 baking dish. Combine ¼ cup of each cheese in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add jalapeños; cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, pour milk into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat (avoid boiling). Whisk flour into the jalapeño-garlic mixture, then slowly whisk in the hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes, until smooth.
Slowly add whisked egg yolks and cook until completely combined and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in thyme, cayenne, and all of the remaining cheeses. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper; taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt the water, then add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and fold it into the sauce, then pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with reserved cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8 people.
Adapted from “Mixtape Potluck” by Questlove, with Ben Greenman and Lauren Schaefer. Copyright 2019, Abrams Image.
