Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

This creamy bacon cavatappi mac and cheese is what happens when you take the comfort food you grew up on and give it a serious upgrade. You’ve got your bacon, rendered down to a crisp with the fat turning golden. The shallots go in next, softened in all that flavor. Then a splash of brandy to deglaze… and THEN comes the cheese sauce. Sharp white cheddar and Fontina melted together into something that clings to every spiral of cavatappi like it was made for the job. (It was!) Twenty minutes, one pan, and the kind of mac and cheese that makes the boxed stuff feel like a distant memory.

Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below!

5 from 2 ratings

Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Author: David Prock

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Yield: 4 People

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Creamy bacon cavatappi mac and cheese with crispy bacon, sharp white cheddar, Fontina, and a splash of brandy to deglaze. Twenty minutes, one pan.

This is what mac and cheese looks like when it grows up. The boxed stuff doesn't stand a chance.

Ingredients

• ▢ 10 slices of bacon, chopped
• ▢ 1 large shallot, minced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, fine grain (adjust to taste — bacon and cheese both bring sodium)
• ▢ 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup half-and-half
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1/2 cup brandy, PLEASE check the note below when adding brandy
• ▢ 3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese, hold back about 1/4 cup, add gradually to taste
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, hold back about 1/2 cup, add gradually to taste
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar, added at the end, off heat
• ▢ 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, added at the end, off heat
• ▢ 1 lb cavatappi pasta, cook 1 minute short of package directions
• ▢ 1/2 cup reserved starchy pasta water, for loosening the sauce
• ▢ 3/4 cup frozen peas, added in the last 2 minutes
• ▢ Garnish: a mix of fresh thyme and rosemary, finely chopped

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Instructions

 

• Warm the dairy. Combine the heavy cream, whole milk, half-and-half, and bay leaf in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat and let it sit while you work. The bay leaf is doing its job in the background — pull it before the cheese goes in.
• Start the pasta water. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the cavatappi. Don’t drop the pasta in yet.
• Render the bacon. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp and the fat is fully rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but about 3 tbsp of the bacon fat.
• Build the aromatic base. Add the minced shallot to the bacon fat and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant — don’t let it color.
• Deglaze with brandy. Pull the pan off the heat (this is important — brandy can flame if it hits an open burner). Add the brandy, then return to medium heat and let it bubble and reduce by about half, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to smell that the alcohol has cooked off.
• Build the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots and brandy and stir continuously for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Whisk in the Dijon mustard right at the end of this step.
• Add the warm dairy. Slowly pour in the warm dairy mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Pull out the bay leaf. Add the thyme, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it thicken for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
• Drop the pasta. While the sauce thickens, add the cavatappi to the boiling water and cook 1 minute short of package directions. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
• Taste the sauce before adding cheese. This is the most important step. The sauce should already taste like something you’d want to eat — savory, balanced, just a little under-seasoned because the cheese will bring salt. If it tastes flat, adjust with salt or a crack more pepper now. Don’t try to fix it with more cheese later.
• Add the cheese gradually, off heat. Pull the sauce off the heat. Add about three-quarters of the cheese (so all of the listed amount minus the hold-back) in handfuls, stirring after each until fully melted. Taste. If the sauce tastes rich enough, stop. If it needs more body, add some of the held-back cheese a handful at a time until it gets there. You may not need all of it.
• Finish with acid. Off heat, stir in the sherry vinegar and lemon juice. Taste again — the sauce should feel brighter, not sharper. If you can taste either acid distinctly, you’ve gone slightly too far, but it won’t ruin anything.
• Combine. Add the drained pasta and the frozen peas directly to the sauce. Toss to coat. If the sauce is tighter than you want, add the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until it coats the pasta rather than blanketing it. The peas will warm through in about 2 minutes from residual heat.
• Fold in the bacon and serve. Stir most of the bacon into the pasta, reserving a handful to scatter on top. Garnish with the chopped thyme and rosemary. Serve immediately — this dish is best eaten the moment it hits the bowl.
• Brandy note
• Always pull the pan off direct heat before adding brandy. If you have a gas stove, the brandy vapor can ignite and flame across the pan. It’s not dangerous if you’re prepared for it (the flame burns off in a few seconds), but it surprises people. Adding it off heat and then returning to the burner gives you a controlled reduction without the show.

Calories: 1363kcal, Carbohydrates: 105g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 76g, Saturated Fat: 40g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 23g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 203mg, Sodium: 1811mg, Potassium: 773mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 2300IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 672mg, Iron: 3mg

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Mac and Cheese — A Little History

Mac and cheese has been around a lot longer than most people think. There are recipes for it going back to the 14th century in Italian and English cookbooks, usually just pasta layered with cheese and butter, no sauce to speak of. The version with a proper cheese sauce came along much later, and by the time it was common in America it was already becoming a recognizable ancestor of the comfort food we know now. Thomas Jefferson helped popularize it among America’s elite after encountering macaroni dishes in Europe, and when he served it at a state dinner in 1802, it started turning heads.

The bacon angle is more recent. Once people started treating mac and cheese as a canvas rather than just a side dish, bacon was one of the first things that got thrown in. It makes too much sense not to. The salt, the smoke, the fat… it does everything you want in a rich cheese dish. Adding brandy and using cavatappi instead of elbow macaroni is where this recipe goes its own way. The brandy adds a warmth you can’t get from anything else, and cavatappi grabs sauce better than any other pasta shape I’ve tried. This is mac and cheese that grew up a little but didn’t forget where it came from.

What Makes This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese Different

Don’t mistake this for the kind of mac and cheese you’d find in a box or at some diner. We’re not using butter to make the sauce… it’s bacon fat. A simple choice like that puts an entirely different character on the dish! You let the shallots soften in the rendered fat and deglaze with brandy, and by the time you put your roux together you’ve got more depth than you’ll find in most any recipe out there.

Your cheese blend is important too. Sharp white cheddar on its own? Too much. Fontina on its own? Too mild. But combine them and the sauce is creamy and smooth with PLENTY of flavor. And make sure to take it off the heat before you add the cheese… a little at a time so it melts nice and clean and doesn’t break or get grainy on you. (Trust me on that one.)

The cavatappi does its part too. Those corkscrew shapes aren’t there for show, they catch and hold the sauce where penne or elbow macaroni just can’t. It means you get bacon and cheese with every forkful, which is kind of the whole point!

And for the finish… I stir in some sherry vinegar and lemon juice once the pan is off the burner. Most folks leave that out and end up with something flat and heavy after just the first few bites. This way it stays bright right to the last of it.

How to Make This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

Step 1: Prep and Cook the Ingredients

1. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook cavatappi pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Crisp the Bacon and Sauté Shallots: In a skillet, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon, leaving the fat. Sauté minced shallots in the bacon fat until soft.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

1. Create the Sauce Base: Add flour to the skillet with shallots, stirring to form a roux. Stir in fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Deglaze with brandy, then pour in half-and-half. Simmer until thickened.
2. Melt the Cheese: Add shredded Fontina and Cheddar to the skillet, stirring until melted into a smooth, creamy sauce.

Step 3: Combine and Serve

1. Mix and Garnish: Toss the cooked pasta and crispy bacon into the cheese sauce. Stir until the pasta is well coated. Garnish with fresh thyme and rosemary. Serve hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy goodness.

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Make-Ahead & Storage

• Prep Ahead: You can chop the bacon, mince the shallots, and grate the cheeses the night before. Keep everything separate in sealed containers. Don’t make the sauce ahead though… this is a right-now stovetop mac and cheese and the sauce is best fresh off the stove.
• Refrigerate: Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. The sauce thickens as it cools but a splash of milk or half-and-half when you reheat will loosen it right back up.
• Freeze: Not great for this one. The cheese sauce can go grainy when frozen and the pasta gets soft. Better to make it fresh each time. It only takes twenty minutes anyway!
• Reheat: Stovetop, low heat, covered. Add a splash of milk or half-and-half and stir gently until it’s creamy again. Don’t rush it with high heat or the cheese will break. The microwave works in a pinch but the texture won’t be the same.
• Meal Prep Tip: Render the bacon and store it with a few tablespoons of the fat. Grate your cheeses. When you’re ready to cook, everything moves fast from there. Ten minutes of prep the night before saves you on a busy weeknight.

Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese Upgrades and Variations

This bacon mac and cheese recipe is already a serious upgrade from the boxed stuff. Here’s how to push it even further.

• Infuse the cream: Warm the dairy with thyme sprigs and a couple of garlic cloves for 30 minutes before straining. Adds a layer of flavor you can’t get any other way.
• Crispy breadcrumb topping: Toast Panko in some of the rendered bacon fat, mix with Parmesan and a pinch of smoked paprika. Sprinkle on top before serving. The crunch against the creamy sauce is ridiculous.
• Try smoked cheeses: Swap in some smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar for part of the blend. It doubles down on the bacon’s smokiness and the result is outstanding.
• Add vegetables: Sautéed mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or wilted spinach folded into the sauce. Adds color and another layer without changing the character of the dish.
• Go homemade on the pasta: Fresh cavatappi is lighter and softer than store-bought. It’s a project but if you’ve got the time the difference is real.
• Finish with truffle oil: Just a few drops right before serving. It sounds over the top but with Fontina and bacon fat it works. Don’t overdo it though… truffle oil gets loud fast.

Chef’s Tips for This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

• Grate your cheese fresh: Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that mess with the melt. Grate it yourself and the sauce will be noticeably smoother.
• Render the bacon slowly: Low and steady gives you crispier bacon AND more rendered fat. That fat is doing real work in this recipe so don’t rush it.
• Save your pasta water: Reserve at least half a cup before draining. It’s the easiest way to loosen the sauce if it tightens up, and the starch helps it cling to the pasta.
• Deglaze properly: When the brandy goes in, let it simmer and reduce while you scrape up all the fond from the bottom of the pan. That’s pure flavor stuck to the metal and you want every bit of it.
• Add cheese off the heat: Pull the pan off the burner before the cheese goes in. Add it gradually, stirring after each handful. High heat and cheese don’t mix… you’ll end up with a grainy, broken sauce.
• Season in stages: A little salt in the pasta water, seasoning as you build the sauce, and a final adjustment at the end. Don’t dump it all in at once. The bacon and cheese both bring sodium so go easy until the very end.
• Let it rest for a minute: After you toss everything together, give it a minute or two before serving. The pasta absorbs the sauce and the flavors settle. It tastes noticeably better even after just 60 seconds.

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Flavor Adjustment Guide for This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the most forgiving dishes there is. If something’s off, you can fix it.

• Sauce Too Thick? Splash of reserved pasta water or a little half-and-half, stirred in gently. Warm liquid only. Cold will tighten the cheese up on you.
• Sauce Too Thin? It probably needed more time to reduce before the cheese went in. At this point, let it sit in the pan over very low heat for another minute or two and it’ll thicken up. Don’t add more cheese to fix it… that’s how you end up with something too salty and heavy.
• Tastes Flat? Did you add the sherry vinegar and lemon juice at the end? That’s the step that wakes it up. If you did and it’s still flat, a pinch more salt. Then taste again.
• Too Salty? The bacon and the cheese both bring sodium and it adds up fast. Next time hold back on salt until the very end. Right now, a squeeze of lemon juice can help distract from the saltiness.
• Cheese Sauce Went Grainy? The heat was too high when the cheese went in. It needs to go in off the heat, gradually, with stirring. If it’s already happened, a splash of warm cream and vigorous whisking can sometimes bring it back. Sometimes.
• Brandy Flavor Too Strong? It didn’t reduce long enough. The alcohol needs to cook off completely, about 2 to 3 minutes at a simmer. If you can still smell it sharply, keep it on the heat a bit longer next time.
• Not Smoky Enough? Add another pinch of smoked paprika right at the end. Or next time try swapping in some smoked cheddar for part of the white cheddar. That’ll do it.
• Pasta Mushy? You cooked it too long before adding it to the sauce. This recipe calls for one minute short of package directions because the pasta keeps absorbing once it’s in the sauce. Next time pull it earlier.

Key Ingredients in This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

• Bacon: BACON! Everything starts here!! Rendered slowly until crisp, the fat becomes your cooking base and the crispy pieces get folded back in at the end. Salt, smoke, and richness all in one ingredient
• Brandy: Deglazes the pan and picks up all the fond from the bacon and shallots. As it reduces the alcohol cooks off and what’s left is a subtle warmth and sweetness that you can’t get from anything else. You won’t taste “brandy” but it’s doing a lot of work.
• Shallots: Softer and sweeter than onion, they melt into the sauce base without overpowering anything. Cooked in the bacon fat they pick up all that smoky flavor.
• Sharp White Cheddar: The backbone of the sauce. It provides the tang and the sharpness that keeps the whole thing from being one-note rich. Hold some back and add gradually so you can control the intensity.
• Fontina: Melts smooth and creamy in a way that cheddar alone can’t. It rounds out the sauce and gives it that luxurious, silky quality. Together with the cheddar, the two cheeses cover all the bases.
• Cavatappi: Those corkscrew spirals grab the sauce and hold on. Elbow macaroni is the classic but cavatappi is better for this recipe. More surface area, more sauce in every forkful.
• Half-and-Half, Heavy Cream, and Whole Milk: Three dairy sources for three different things. The cream brings richness, the milk thins it out, and the half-and-half sits right in the middle. Together they give you a sauce that’s indulgent without being heavy.
• Sherry Vinegar and Lemon Juice: Added right at the end, off heat. This is the acid finish that keeps the richness from becoming too much. You won’t taste vinegar or lemon, you’ll just notice the mac and cheese stays bright all the way through the bowl.

Wine Pairings

• Chardonnay (Oaked, Burgundy or California)
  Why It Works: This is the obvious heavyweight pairing and for good reason. The buttery texture and toasted oak lean right into the Fontina and cheddar while the acidity keeps the cream sauce from turning sluggish. Bacon, brandy, cream… Chardonnay handles all of it without getting buried.
  Tasting Notes: Baked apple, vanilla, toasted brioche, buttered almond
  Suggested Label: Rombauer Chardonnay, Carneros
• Pinot Noir (Oregon or Burgundy)
  Why It Works: Bacon and Pinot are ridiculous together. The earthy mushroomy undertones and bright red fruit play beautifully with the smoky bacon fat and creamy cheese sauce. Enough acidity to cut through the richness without overpowering the pasta.
  Tasting Notes: Cherry, cranberry, forest floor, subtle spice
  Suggested Label: Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
• Viognier (Rhône or California)
  Why It Works: The floral richness and stone fruit notes work surprisingly well with the smoky bacon and nutmeg in the sauce. This one leans softer and rounder than Sauvignon Blanc, which makes it feel right at home with the cream and Fontina.
  Tasting Notes: Peach, apricot, honeysuckle, citrus blossom
  Suggested Label: Yves Cuilleron Viognier “La Vignes d’à Côté”
• Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)
  Why It Works: High acidity is the key here. Barbera cuts through all that cheese and bacon fat while the dark fruit adds contrast to the savory richness. Really good if you want a red that still feels lively and food-friendly.
  Tasting Notes: Black cherry, plum, dried herbs, soft earth
  Suggested Label: Vietti Barbera d’Alba “Tre Vigne”
• Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley or New Zealand)
  Why It Works: If the richness starts feeling heavy after a few bites, Sauvignon Blanc fixes that fast. Bright acidity, citrus, and minerality reset your palate between forkfuls while still letting the bacon and cheese stay center stage.
  Tasting Notes: Lime zest, grapefruit, flint, fresh herbs
  Suggested Label: Lucien Crochet Sancerre Blanc
• Champagne or Sparkling Wine (France or California)
  Why It Works: Tiny bubbles plus bacon fat equals a very good time. The acidity and effervescence slice through the cream sauce while the toasted brioche notes in the wine actually echo the browned bacon and nutty cheese flavors. This pairing feels way fancier than mac and cheese has any right to.
  Tasting Notes: Lemon zest, brioche, green apple, minerality
  Suggested Label: Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve

Faq’s

Equipment Needed for This Creamy Bacon Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

• Large Pot: Choose a big one to give pasta plenty of room to cook evenly.

• Large Skillet or Frying Pan: You’ll need this to get your bacon nice and crispy and to sauté those shallots. A deeper pan is handy, especially when you’re making the sauce, to keep everything in without spills.

• Strainer or Colander: Needed to drain the cooked pasta. Ensure it’s large enough for the pasta amount.

• Measuring Cups and Spoons: It’s (obviously!!) important to measure for amounts of flour half and half, brandy and cheeses.

• Wooden Spoon or Heatproof Spatula: Ideal for stirring ingredients in the skillet, especially for roux and melting cheese.

• Cheese Grater: Necessary if using block cheese for better melt than pre-shredded varieties.

• Cutting Board and Knife: For chopping bacon (if not pre-chopped), mincing shallot, and finely chopping herbs for garnish.

• Mixing Bowl (Optional): Handy for holding cooked pasta or mixed cheeses before adding to the sauce, though you can manage without it if kitchen space is limited.

Related Recipes You’ll Love:

The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese — Our other mac and cheese. Different cheese blend, different approach, same obsession with getting the sauce right. If you loved this one, try the other.

Deep & Creamy Beef Stroganoff — Another brandy-deglazed dish with a rich, creamy sauce. Different protein, same technique. If the brandy step in this recipe caught your attention, the stroganoff takes it further.

Creamy Tuscan Rigatoni — Rich, creamy, loaded with flavor. Different pasta, different sauce, same “I can’t believe I made this” energy.

Braised Short Rib with Crispy Mustard-Curry Gnocchi — If you liked the rendered fat base and the technique-forward approach here, the short rib takes that same mindset and goes full showpiece.

The Best Spaghetti Sauce You Will Ever Have — Different direction entirely but the same attention to building flavor from the ground up. If you enjoyed how this sauce came together, that one will feel familiar.