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Caprese Macaroni and Cheese

by Katerina

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Jul 27, 2014, Updated Mar 01, 2021

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Caprese Macaroni and Cheese: Creamy and delicious Macaroni and Cheese made with a mozzarella cheese-sauce, basil pesto, and fresh tomatoes.

Hi, guys! Happy Sunday!!

True story. I won my first Spelling Bee in the 5th grade, but I didn’t speak English. I had been in the States for about 5 months and the teacher thought that it would be SO inspiring to put me up there, as the little foreigner that could. 

I practiced and practiced, reading the dictionary from A to Z…
Ok, that’s a lie. It was from A to D. I read every.word. AND memorized how to spell every.word. The hell if I was going to go up on that stage and embarrass myself. I spent my entire Spring Break hanging out with Merriam-Webster. That sounds more dramatic than it really was. 

Long story short, the word was “beautiful”. I won because I spelled out “beautiful” correctly. Apparently, it’s a hard word to spell. I wouldn’t know. 😀

Speaking of beautiful… want some Caprese Macaroni and Cheese?!

…I really know how to make an introduction…

Clearly, I’ve lost my mind. What was I thinking turning on the oven in mid-end-of-July. It is a scorcher out there! Yet, for the life of me, I can’t bake a batch of cookies. Or even a cake. I miss cake. But, it’s just too hot. Bring on the pasta.

I dunno. I just need carbs. Normally, I don’t. Normally, I eat a ton of salads, but sometimes, I just need to stuff my face with a bowl of mac and cheese. And a gazillion squares of dark chocolate. I heart dark chocolate. A fact that is nothing short of glorious.

And, while we’re still discussing delicious things, I’ll take a beer, some nachos, and a brownie. A la mode.

In other news… I have a basket full of homegrown tomatoes so I made you another Caprese Pasta Dinner concoction.

That being said, this amazing mac ‘n cheese ain’t the classic treat that you might expect.  Think of it more like a grown-up, taken to the next level, prize-deserving macaroni and cheese.

It’s simple, not classic, and your family will definitely thank you for it.

ENJOY!

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Caprese Macaroni and Cheese

by Katerina | Diethood

Creamy and delicious Macaroni and Cheese made with a mozzarella cheese-sauce, basil pesto, and fresh tomatoes.

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8- oz . Elbow Macaroni
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable broth
• ▢ 1/4- cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, , to taste
• ▢ 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, , divided
• ▢ 1/2- cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 to 3 tomatoes, , sliced
• ▢ 1 container, (7-oz.) Basil Pesto

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce.

• In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, vegetable broth, flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
• Cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
• Remove from heat.
• Drain cooked pasta and return to pot.
• Add sauce to the pasta.
• Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; stir until melted and well combined.
• Layer 1/2-cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the previously prepared baking dish.
• Add half of the macaroni mixture over the tomato sauce.
• Top with half of the tomato slices; season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle 1-cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Dollop on the basil pesto.
• Top with the remaining pasta.
• Add the rest of the tomato slices; season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven.
• Let stand 15 minutes.
• Cut and serve.

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: DIETHOOD

 

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 499mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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