Italian Stove-Top Mac and Cheese

By -
You can prepare this dinner favourite in minutes with ingredients found in your pantry. Prepared pesto makes a great substitute for fresh basil when it is not in season.

Ingredients


  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 tsp (4 mL) dried Italian herb seasoning
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (500 mL) milk
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
  • 1 cup (250 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese
  • 1 plum tomato, diced
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) prepared pesto
  • 2-1/2 cups (625 mL) elbow pasta, (12 oz/340 g)
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. 


Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, mustard and salt; cook, whisking, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese until smooth.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine tomato and pesto; set aside.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat.

Serve sprinkled with tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese.

Leigh's comments - This was delish! I didn't have 'Italian seasoning' so I looked it up and it's equal parts thyme, oregano, majoram, basil and rosemary. I wasn't measuring and I think I added more than the 3/4 tsp. it called for and that was a little overpowering. I also didn't add the tomato. We always have prepared pesto in the fridge. I didn't add any parmesean either because I didn't have fresh. All in all, I recommend!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pizza Dough

By -
2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided, plus additional for dusting 2 cups warm water (105–115°F), divided 2 teaspoons salt MAKE DOUGH: Whisk together yeast, 2 Tbsp flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until mixture develops a creamy foam, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir together salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir until smooth, then stir in 1 cup more flour. If dough sticks to your fingers, stir in just enough flour (up to 3/4 cup), a little at a time, to make dough just come away from side of bowl. (This dough may be wetter than other pizza doughs you have made.) Knead dough on a lightly floured surface with floured hands, lightly reflouring work surface and your hands when dough becomes too sticky, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes. Divide dough i...
Read more

"Light" Caesar Salad

By -
I'm not sure where the "light" comes from. But this was a really good classic Caesar dressing. We even had to resort to (haha) using powdered parmesan from the store and it was still classically good. 1/4   cup   (60 mL)  grated  Parmesan cheese 1/4   cup   (60 mL)  light mayonnaise 2   tbsp   (30 mL)  white wine vinegar 1   tbsp   (15 mL)  extra virgin olive oil 1   tbsp   (15 mL)  water 1   tbsp   (15 mL)  Dijon mustard 1   tsp   (5 mL)  Worcestershire sauce 1   clove garlic , minced 1   pinch   salt 1   pinch   pepper 8   cups   (2 L)  romaine lettuce , torn, 1 small head 1   cup   (250 mL)  prepared croutons 2   tbsp   (30 mL)  cooked  bacon , crumbled In jar, shake together Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, water, mustard, Worcestershire sauce...
Read more