Ají Amarillo Mac and Cheese: A Peruvian Twist on the Ultimate Comfort Food

Mac and cheese is comfort food in its purest form — but add ají amarillo, and it becomes something else entirely. This Peruvian-inspired version takes the classic creamy, cheesy pasta bake and folds in the bright, fruity heat of ají amarillo, the same golden pepper that gives dishes like ají de gallina and papa a la huancaína their signature color and flavor. The result is a mac and cheese that's still deeply familiar but carries a warmth and complexity the original never had.

The idea isn't a stretch. Peruvian cooking has a long tradition of building creamy, cheese-based sauces around ají amarillo — huancaína sauce is essentially a cheese sauce built on this pepper. Mac and cheese made with Aji Amarillo Sauce is simply that same logic applied to a dish most American kitchens already know by heart. The pepper's tropical, passion-fruit-like notes cut through the richness of the cheese, while its moderate heat (roughly 30,000–50,000 Scoville Heat Units — hotter than a jalapeño, milder than a habanero) keeps every bite interesting without overwhelming the dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni (or cavatappi/shells)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk, warmed
• 2 tablespoons Aji Pepper Sauce Aji Amarillo Sauce, plus more to taste
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or queso fresco-style melting cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional, for topping)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to form a light roux.
3. Slowly whisk in the warmed milk, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Cook for 4–5 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the Aji Amarillo Sauce, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
5. Add the cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan in handfuls, stirring until fully melted and smooth after each addition.
6. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Taste the sauce and add more Aji Amarillo Sauce if you want more heat and brightness.
7. Fold the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce until every piece is coated.
8. For a baked version: transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish, top with panko breadcrumbs, and bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling. For a stovetop version: skip the baking and serve directly from the pot.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and an extra drizzle of Aji Amarillo Sauce before serving.

Tips and Variations

Adjust the heat to your table. Two tablespoons of Aji Amarillo Sauce delivers a warm, present heat without overwhelming the cheese. Start there, taste, and add more a teaspoon at a time — the sauce's fruitiness means added heat won't make the dish taste "spicy" in a one-note way.

Add protein for a full meal. Shredded rotisserie chicken tossed with a spoonful of Aji Amarillo Sauce turns this into a complete Peruvian-inspired dinner. Crumbled chorizo or diced ham also work well stirred in before baking.

Make it a huancaína-style bake. For a more traditional Peruvian flavor lean, swap in queso fresco for part of the cheese blend and finish with a few Peruvian black olives on top — a nod to the classic papa a la huancaína presentation.

Go stovetop for weeknights. Skip the baking step entirely and serve the mac and cheese straight from the pot in under 25 minutes total. It's just as creamy and comes together faster.

Leftovers reheat well. Add a splash of milk when reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave to loosen the sauce, since it thickens as it cools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ají amarillo paste instead of sauce? Yes, though quantities will differ. Ají amarillo paste is more concentrated, so start with about half the amount called for in this recipe and adjust to taste. Aji Pepper Sauce's Aji Amarillo is ready to use straight from the bottle, which is why the measurements above are written for it directly.

Will this be too spicy for kids? At 2 tablespoons in a full pot of mac and cheese, the heat is mild and mostly reads as warmth, not spice. Ají amarillo sits at roughly 30,000–50,000 Scoville Heat Units, well below a habanero. If cooking for very heat-sensitive eaters, start with 1 tablespoon and build from there.

What cheese works best with ají amarillo? Sharp cheddar provides the tang that balances ají amarillo's fruitiness, while Monterey Jack or a queso fresco-style cheese adds the creamy melt Peruvian sauces are known for. Parmesan rounds out the sauce with salt and depth. Avoid very mild cheeses, which can get lost next to the pepper's bright flavor.

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. Assemble the full dish through step 7, then refrigerate covered for up to 2 days before baking. Add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time if starting from cold, and add a splash of milk before baking if the sauce has thickened too much.

Is Aji Amarillo Sauce the same as hot sauce? Not quite. Aji Amarillo Sauce is a Peruvian pepper condiment built around real ají amarillo puree, not a vinegar-based hot sauce. It's designed to be cooked into dishes like this one, not just splashed on top — which is exactly why it works so well folded into a cheese sauce.

What else can I make with ají amarillo besides mac and cheese? Ají amarillo is one of the most versatile Peruvian ingredients — it works in scrambled eggs, pasta sauces, chicken marinades, grain bowls, and dips. See our Aji Amarillo Pasta Sauce recipe for another comfort-food angle on the same pepper.

Bring the Flavor Home

This mac and cheese only works because the pepper behind it is the real thing — not a "Peruvian-style" imitation, but ají amarillo grown, harvested, and made into sauce in Peru. If you want to understand what makes this pepper so special before you cook with it, our complete guide to ají amarillo covers its flavor, heat level, and role in Peruvian cuisine in depth. And if you're curious how Peruvian cooks have used ají amarillo in creamy, cheese-forward sauces for generations, our guide to huancaína sauce is the dish this recipe borrows its logic from.

Ready to make it yourself? Grab a bottle of Aji Amarillo Sauce — it's also available on our Amazon Store if you'd rather order there.