Vodka Mascarpone Mac and Cheese — The Grown-Up Comfort Food

Authentic Italian Gourmet Pasta Sauce. No Added Sugar. Ever.

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Vodka Mascarpone mac and cheese is what happens when you take that comfort food and give it an Italian-American upgrade. The creamy, tomato-rich mascarpone sauce replaces the traditional béchamel, creating a dish that's simultaneously familiar and completely new — richer, more complex, and more satisfying than any mac and cheese you've had before.

Albanese's Finest Vodka Mascarpone — made with real mascarpone, premium tomatoes, and no added sugar — is the authentic Italian gourmet pasta sauce that makes this dish extraordinary. The mascarpone creates the creamy base, the tomato adds brightness and depth, and the result is a mac and cheese that tastes like it was made by someone who really knows what they're doing.

• 1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 jar Albanese's Finest Vodka Mascarpone sauce (24 oz)
• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère (or fontina)
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt & cracked black pepper
• Reserved pasta water

For the breadcrumb topping (optional):

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Step 1 — Cook the pasta. Boil macaroni in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.

Step 2 — Build the sauce. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 60 seconds. Pour in the Vodka Mascarpone sauce and milk. Stir to combine. Simmer 3–4 minutes.

Step 3 — Add the cheese. Remove from heat. Add cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmigiano in handfuls, stirring after each addition until melted and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water a splash at a time.

Step 4 — Combine. Add drained pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat every piece. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5a — Stovetop version: Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmigiano and a crack of black pepper.

Step 5b — Baked version: Transfer to a buttered baking dish. Mix panko with melted butter and Parmigiano. Sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Remove from heat before adding cheese. Adding cheese to a boiling sauce causes it to seize and become grainy. Remove the pot from heat first, then add the cheese gradually.

Add cheese in handfuls. Adding all the cheese at once can cause clumping. Add it gradually, stirring after each addition.

The pasta water is your friend. The starchy water loosens the sauce and helps it coat the pasta evenly. Add it a splash at a time until you reach the right consistency.

Variations

Spicy Vodka Mac: Double the red pepper flakes and add a pinch of cayenne.

Vodka Mac with Pancetta: Cook diced pancetta until crispy and stir it into the finished mac and cheese.

Vodka Mac with Lobster: Add chunks of cooked lobster tail for a truly indulgent version.

About the Sauce

Albanese's Finest Vodka Mascarpone is made with real mascarpone — the Italian cream cheese that gives this sauce its signature richness. No added sugar means the tomato flavor comes through clean and bright. It's the authentic Italian gourmet pasta sauce that makes mac and cheese taste like something extraordinary.

No added sugar. Small-batch. Founder-made.

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