How do you fancy a stunningly smooth, creamy cheese sauce with a harissa kick, generously enveloping perfectly cooked pasta and topped with a sprinkling of impossibly tempting cheese? And how about if the whole dish is gluten-free?
Well, thanks to MasterChef UK 2016 Champion Jane Devonshire, I have the perfect recipe for you that ticks every single box that good mac and cheese should tick - it's comforting, creamy, smooth and delicious.
This harissa mac and cheese recipe is featured in Jane's debut cookbook, Hassle Free Gluten Free, which has been released in association with Coeliac UK, and features 100 delicious and easy-to-make recipes.
Jane's inspiration comes from feeding her 14-year-old son, who has coeliac disease - a lifelong autoimmune disease that means it's essential he doesn't consume any gluten. With so many years of experience creating comforting meals for her family, it's no surprise that Hassle Free Gluten Free is packed with fantastically tasty dishes that everyone will love.
In Jane's book, you'll find everything from soups, to pasta, cakes, to arancini - there's something to please everyone.
I decided to make her harissa mac and cheese to share with you all. It's a wonderfully creamy, moreish dish, and the addition of harissa is absolutely inspired. We all love it.
About this dish, Jane writes:
"If I fed Ben his favourite mac and cheese every day, he would be in heaven - I think it's the whole teenage carb-loading thing. This recipe is for my standard cheese sauce, which works perfectly every time with this quantity of pasta. The addition of harissa gives it a bit of spice and a lovely warming feel for those cold nights, however I have been known to throw leeks, ham, lots of vegetables and other things that need eating up into the pasta just before it goes into the oven - it's one of those wonderfully adaptable dishes."
Here's how to make it.
Ingredients
- 400 g (14.11 oz) gluten-free pasta I use penne or fusilli as gluten-free macaroni can be hard to find
- 6 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 800 ml (1.69 pint) whole milk plus a little extra for making the cornflour paste
- 250 g (8.82 oz) extra-mature Cheddar cheese grated, plus extra for sprinkling (vegetarian if required)
- 50 g (1.76 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative grated
- 2 tbsp harissa paste make sure it's gluten-free
- pinch sea salt flakes
Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the pasta and parboil for 6-7 minutes; it needs to be about half-cooked. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Mix the cornflour with a little milk until it is the consistency of double cream.
Put the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and slowly add the cornflour paste, stirring or whisking all the time. Keep stirring/whisking for a couple of minutes – the milk will thicken quickly but you need to cook out the cornflour.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the Cheddar and Parmesan. Beat in until you have a smooth, thick cheese sauce.
Add the harissa paste and salt and stir in.
Add the partially cooked pasta, stir through.
(Look at how gorgeous and creamy it is!!)
Place in a baking dish (my pan was ovenproof so I didn't need to) and sprinkle over a little extra cheddar cheese (I put quite a large handful on because J and JD like a crisp cheese top on their mac and cheese with all the creamy goodness beneath).
Place in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. This is best eaten as soon as you can without the cheese burning your mouth.
We are so impressed, Jane! This recipe out-of-this-world delicious! Don't forget to pick up Jane's book for yourself. It's available to buy now!
What did you think of this delicious gluten-free harissa mac and cheese recipe? Will you give it a go?
Print this gluten-free harissa mac and cheese recipe
Gluten Free Harissa Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g (14.11 oz) gluten-free pasta I use penne or fusilli as gluten-free macaroni can be hard to find
- 6 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 800 ml (1.69 pint) whole milk plus a little extra for making the cornflour paste
- 250 g (8.82 oz) extra-mature Cheddar cheese grated, plus extra for sprinkling (vegetarian if required)
- 50 g (1.76 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative grated
- 2 tbsp harissa paste make sure it's gluten-free
- pinch sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the pasta and parboil for 6-7 minutes; it needs to be about half-cooked. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Mix the cornflour with a little milk until it is the consistency of double cream.
- Put the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and slowly add the cornflour paste, stirring or whisking all the time. Keep stirring/whisking for a couple of minutes – the milk will thicken quickly but you need to cook out the cornflour.
- Remove from the heat and immediately add the Cheddar and Parmesan. Beat in until you have a smooth, thick cheese sauce.
- Add the harissa paste and salt and stir in, then add the partially cooked pasta, stir through, and place in a baking dish.
- Sprinkle over a little extra Cheddar cheese and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. This is best eaten as soon as you can without the cheese burning your mouth.
Video
Nutrition
Bloomsbury sent me a copy of the book. Recipe reproduced with permission.
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Amanda Yorton says
I need to try this! Lately, the only kind of pasta I can eat is gluten free, otherwise I feel so bloated. But this sounds yummy!!
Emily Leary says
Have you tried this lovely recipe yet! It really is so tasty! Let me know how it goes :)
Alexandra says
What a clever idea and interesting twist on this dish! I love the addition of Harissa - brings some added warmth.
Sounds utterly beautiful!
Thanks for sharing!
Alex xx
itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com
Emily Leary says
Hi Alex. Jane's gluten-free harissa mac and cheese is absolutely delicious, I'm sure you'll love it!
Explore The 6 says
One reason why I stopped eating mac and cheese is because of the gluten, thanks for this recipe I'm going to give this Gluten-free mac and cheese a try :)
Emily Leary says
Jane's recipe is so delicious - I love it! Let me know how it goes :)
Maartje van Sandwijk says
This looks really good! :)
Emily Leary says
It really is! I hope you give it a go!
Karla says
Thank you for this. We have two family members that are gluten free and recipes have been hard for me. This looks pretty simple and I know they'll love it.
Emily Leary says
Jane's recipe is so tasty - I'm sure your family will love it as much as mine do!
Chad says
I've heard of Harissa before but i thought It had chicken, not sure tbh. Thank you so much for the great recipe, will definitely cook it this weekend.
Emily Leary says
It's such a pleasure to share this lovely recipe from Jane Devonshire. I hope you all enjoyed it at the weekend!
Sonia Cave says
This looks so delicious. It is the favourite meal of our twin 1 so I will be giving this version a go. Love all things gluten free as I think it is better for us anyway
Emily Leary says
It really is so delicious. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do in our house!
Peter says
Kraft dinner has never been so heavily outclassed.
Emily Leary says
I love this recipe, it's so so tasty!
GiGi Eats says
This looks INSANELY tasty!! I would be ALLLLL over that mac and cheese casserole, for real ;)
Emily Leary says
It's a great recipe - we all love this delicious version of mac and cheese. Enjoy!
Joanna says
I can imagine how delicious this recipe is! I do like harissa for the kick it gives to eastern foods, but I never imagined that it could be used in mac and cheese. I'd love to try this recipe!
Emily Leary says
I hope you do! Let me know how it goes - I think you'll love it!