Mac and cheese recipes: 3 homemade versions you have to try

Plenty of friends volunteer to help when I’m testing recipes. When macaroni and cheese is on the menu, everyone shows up. They bring opinions on everything from the sharpness of the cheese to the pasta shape. Crumb toppings? Crisped in the oven? Some say yes, others want their comfort food straight from the saucepan.

Start with good pasta. For the best texture, I look for imported pastas made from durum wheat. Warm, melty cheese sauce clings best to tubular shapes — with or without ridges. Small, bite-size penne or shells, springlike fusilli, rotini, cavatappi, farfalle, even wagon wheels stay al dente when sauced. I avoid the little ear-shaped orecchiette for mac and cheese because they nest together too readily.

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water in a large pan, stirring often, until al dente. That means firmer than you might think. So set the timer 2 minutes earlier than the package recommends. Scoop out and set aside about a cup of the cooking liquid in case you need it to loosen your cheese mixture. Then drain the pasta and sauce it while still hot.

Erica Marcus contributed to these recipes.

STOVETOP MACARONI AND CHEESE

The quickest macaroni and cheese starts with Kraft’s pasteurized prepared cheese product.

SEE PHOTOSMac and cheese on LI: 16 versions we love

Salt

8 ounces elbow macaroni

8 ounces Velveeta (half of a 1-pound block)

2 tablespoons milk

Pepper

1. Boil macaroni in salted water until it is just short of al dente.

2. Meanwhile, slice Velveeta and place most of the slices in a saucepan with milk. Place drained macaroni in the saucepan and, over high heat, combine until Velveeta has melted and sauce has thickened slightly.

3. Turn off the heat and add rest of the Velveeta. Taste for salt and add pepper. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

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CREAMY BACON MAC AND CHEESE

3 or 4 thick slices smoky bacon or 4 ounces pancetta

1 small onion or 2 large shallots, finely diced

1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature

1/2 cup ricotta

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 pound tubular pasta shapes, such as casarecce, small rotini, fusilli, penne or cavatappi

Sprigs of fresh thyme

1. Heat a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Put bacon and onion into a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until bacon is golden and a little crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, put Parmesan, mascarpone, ricotta, salt, pepper to taste and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Use a rubber scraper or wooden spoon to thoroughly blend the mixture.

4. Add pasta to the boiling water. Stir well and boil uncovered until al dente, usually 10 to 12 minutes. Scoop out and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

5. When pasta is done, drain it in a colander and then add it to the cheese mixture. Top with the bacon mixture. Use a large spoon to stir to coat all the pasta with the cheese mixture. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the mixture.

6. Serve right away garnished with sprigs of thyme. Pass extra Parmesan, if you wish. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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VARIATION ON THE THEME: TACO MAC AND CHEESE

Skip the bacon and onion. Brown 1 pound ground beef; stir in 1 packet taco seasoning. Sub 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend for the Parmesan and ricotta, mixing it with the mascarpone. Into the finished dish, stir the taco meat, 1 cup chopped scallions, and sliced black olives and pickled jalapeno to taste. Top with Fritos.