• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
1 hour 5 minutes
4.58 from 19 votes
12 Comments

Carbonara Mac ‘n Cheese Souffle

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 247
by: Joanna Cismaru
10.03.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Carbonara Mac ‘n Cheese Souffle – the end all of mac and cheese. It’s fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle - the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

Sigh, Carbonara Mac ‘n Cheese Souffle. One can say this recipe is more than a treat, it’s an experience. Might even make you cry it’s so good. Not that I’d want you to cry, but it would be tears of joy. 

But you might wonder why I call it a souffle. It’s perfectly simple, my dears. It has eggs, the eggs are separated and the whites are whisked to stiff peaks, and added to the cheese sauce, making this a fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy pasta. Yep, that about describes it.

What Is Carbonara?

At its core, this Italian dish is from Rome and is super super simple. It’s made from egg, hard sharp cheese, pepper, and guanciale – a cured pork.  If guanciale is a little too hard to find pancetta or bacon works in a snap. Try my creamy carbonara recipe, you won’t regret it.

What Is A Souffle?

Souffles are a French dish that is egg based and notoriously difficult to make. But that reputation couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to this recipe! We’re just separating some eggs today to get a dish that feels both fluffy and light while also being creamy and decadent.

Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle - the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

Ingredients

  • Pasta – I used little shells for this recipe as I wanted something small and shaped that cooks well in a casserole.
  • Pancetta – Our key pork treat, feel free to substitute bacon if that’s what is on hand.
  • Milk – I used a higher fat milk today to create a rich creamy sauce, I used 3.25%.
  • Eggs – Keep in mind we’re separating our eggs today, so don’t incorporate them whole!
  • Cheese – We’re using some super melty and creamy gruyere and white cheddar cheese.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Butter – Unsalted so as to control the sodium content of our dish.
  • Herbs – Fresh parsley all chopped and diced up.
  • Nutmeg – The perfect spice addition for this uber creamy sauce, it helps round it out nicely.
Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle - the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

How To Make Carbonara Mac ‘n Cheese Souffle

Carbonara

  1. Preheat oven: To 400 F degrees. Butter or grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
  2. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  3. Cook the pancetta: Add the pancetta to a saucepan and cook until it browns. Remove the pancetta from pan and place over paper towels to soak up some of the fat.
  4. Prep the eggs: Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and set aside.

Sauce

  1. Form the sauce: Add the butter to the saucepan and melt. Add the minced garlic and cook until it starts foaming and gets aromatic, about a minute. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and stir. Whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  2. Melt the cheese: Add half the gruyere and half the cheddar cheese to the sauce and continue whisking until the cheese melts.
  3. Temper the egg yolks by adding a ladle of the sauce at a time to the egg yolks and whisking them, add about 3 ladles of sauce altogether. You want to do this to avoid the eggs from scrambling up when you add them to the cheese sauce.
  4. Finish the sauce: Stir in the egg yolk mixture back into the cheese sauce. Remove from heat. Fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce.

Assembly

  1. Assemble the casserole: Start layering the casserole by adding half the pasta shells to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half the pancetta over the pasta, then add half the cheese sauce. Sprinkle half of the remaining gruyere and white cheddar over then add the rest of the pasta. Repeat with the remaining pancetta, sauce, and cheese. Finally top with the chopped parsley and place the dish in the oven.
  2. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and puffed. If you want it more golden you can turn the broiler on and broil the souffle for 2 or 3 minutes.
Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle - the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

The Best Way To Separate Your Eggs

Just in case you’re a bit of a cooking newbie, here’s some great tips for ensuring that yolk and those whites stay as far away from each other as possible.

  1. Crack your egg on a flat surface like a counter top. This will ensure that no little bits of egg shell sneak their way in.
  2. Let the yolk settle in one of the egg shell halves and use the other halve to pass the yolk back and forth.
  3. Allow the egg white to fall into a bowl before placing the yolk in a separate bowl.

Having Trouble Getting Your Sauce To Thicken?

When it comes to great pasta dishes, your magic ingredient really is the pasta water. So before you drain your pasta, reserve a full of cup of this magic water, just in case. It’s what will make your sauce smooth and glossy, and it emulsifies with the butter and cheese and just makes everything delicious.

It’s Easier Than You Think!

While you may look at this recipe and think there’s a bit of work involved, it’s still a dish you can have ready in about an hour, and it will be so worth all your effort. It’s so delectable, you can serve this as a side dish, or with a salad, but I simply served this on its own and just savored it. Perfect for lunch or dinner.

Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle - the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

Leftovers

Store carbonara mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but make sure it’s cooled completely before storing it in the fridge.

How to Serve

Here are some sides that you can serve along with this dish:

  • Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
  • The Ultimate Roasted Broccoli
  • Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  • Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Freezing

Yes, you can freeze this pasta dish. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also store it in a baking dish covered tightly with aluminum foil. Bake, frozen and covered with foil at 350 F degrees for 1 hour.

Craving More Pasta? Try These Delicious Recipes:

  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
  • Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta
  • Pesto Shrimp Asparagus Pasta
  • Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
  • One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
  • Easy Pasta Alfredo

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

carbonara mac n cheese souffle with a scoop missing

Carbonara Mac ‘n Cheese Souffle

4.58 from 19 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 5 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
Carbonara Mac 'n Cheese Souffle – the end all of mac and cheese. It's fluffy, puffy, yummy, gooey, cheesy and creamy pasta with crispy pancetta. Need I say more?

Equipment

  • 3.5-quart Dutch Oven
  • 9×13-inch Casserole Dish

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce pasta such as mini pasta shells or elbow macaroni
  • 4 ounce pancetta chopped
  • 3 eggs divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk I used 3.25%
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Butter or grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • Add the pancetta to a saucepan and cook until it browns. Remove the pancetta from pan and place over paper towels to soak up some of the fat.
  • Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and set aside.
  • Add the butter to the saucepan and melt. Add the minced garlic and cook until it starts foaming and gets aromatic, about a minute. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and stir. Whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  • Add half the gruyere and half the cheddar cheese to the sauce and continue whisking until the cheese melts.
  • Temper the egg yolks by adding a ladle of the sauce at a time to the egg yolks and whisking them, add about 3 ladles of sauce altogether. You want to do this to avoid the eggs from scrambling up when you add them to the cheese sauce.
  • Stir in the egg yolk mixture back into the cheese sauce. Remove from heat. Fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce.
  • Start layering the casserole by adding half the pasta shells to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half the pancetta over the pasta, then add half the cheese sauce. Sprinkle half of the remaining gruyere and white cheddar over then add the rest of the pasta. Repeat with the remaining pancetta, sauce, and cheese. Finally top with the chopped parsley and place the dish in the oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes until golden and puffed. If you want it more golden you can turn the broiler on and broil the souffle for 2 or 3 minutes.

Recipe Notes

  1. Leftovers: Store carbonara mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but make sure it’s cooled completely before storing it in the fridge.
  2. Freezing: Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also store it in a baking dish covered tightly with aluminum foil. Bake, frozen and covered with foil at 350 F degrees for 1 hour.
  3. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 486kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 37g (12%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 26g (40%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Cholesterol: 130mg (43%)Sodium: 361mg (16%)Potassium: 267mg (8%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 719IU (14%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 491mg (49%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Keyword:carbonara recipe, mac and cheese
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 247

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

churro apple pie cookies with one split in half exposing the center
Previous Post
Churro Apple Pie Cookies
side view shot of a serving spoon taking a scoop of creamy sausage and mushrooms from a pan
Next Post
Creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. GN Images says

    October 25, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    5 stars
    Made these and they are delicious!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 26, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Jan says

    December 2, 2015 at 6:13 am

    Can this be prepared a day before and still be creamy and moist

    Reply
    • jo says

      December 2, 2015 at 9:47 am

      You’ll have to heat it up and it will still be a bit creamy and moist, but not the same as the day it was prepared, mostly because as you know pasta soaks in all the liquids.

      Reply
  3. Mari says

    November 20, 2015 at 2:57 am

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it on Wednesday night, and it turned out great. I replaced half the milk with beer, for a nice bitter yeasty flavour. It was divine!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 20, 2015 at 9:11 am

      Glad you liked it Mari!

      Reply
  4. Adina says

    November 13, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my God, this must be so good. About a million calories in it for sure, but each one is worthed. 🙂

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 13, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      It’s 479 calories a serving if you can stick to a serving, so not too bad, considering. 🙂

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        November 15, 2015 at 3:15 pm

        JO, can something besides pancetta be used in your carbonara mac-n-cheese? Perhaps bacon?
        I’ve just finished making two of your chocolate magic cakes. Already devoured a regular one last week in two days. YUM

      • jo says

        November 15, 2015 at 3:19 pm

        Bacon is just fine, pancetta is an Italian bacon, so it’s all the same. 🙂 Glad you liked the magic cakes.

  5. mila furman says

    November 13, 2015 at 10:51 am

    Jo…OMG!! JO! OMG! JO! Seriously!!! Just so you know one of my fave foods is MAC AND CHEESE! And this should be called max and cheese cuz it’s maxed out with flavor!!! Holy wow!!! Is this gorgeous! I am so so so sorry I do not eat cheese anymore 🙁 Because this looks absurd!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 13, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Thanks Mila! Sorry to hear you’re not eating cheese anymore, that must suck, I love cheese as I’m sure you can tell. 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
lemon chicken made in the air fryer in a blue bowl.

Asian

overhead shot of a spoon taking a bite of italian meatball soup

Italian

freshly made pozole rojo in a dutch oven.

Mexican

mititei on a plate with mustard and french fries.

Romanian

a stack of roti wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!