How To Make Pesto Havarti Mac and Cheese
A delicious spin to the classic mac and cheese, this dish adds the flavors of spinach pesto to a thick sauce made smooth and creamy with Havarti cheese.
Serves:
Ingredients
For Spinach Pesto:
- 4cupsspinach leaves,packed
- 2cupsfresh basil leaves,packed
- ½cupextra virgin olive oil,or more for a thinner pesto
- ¼cupparmesan cheese,grated
- 2tbsplemon juice,(1 large lemon), fresh
- 2garlic cloves,peeled
- ½tspkosher salt,plus more to taste
- ¼tspfreshly ground black pepper,plus more to taste
For Mac and Cheese:
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3cupswhole wheat elbow macaroni,(12 oz), or orecchiette
- 4tbspunsalted butter
- ¼cupall purpose flour
- 2cupswhole milk,at room temperature
- 2cupshavarti cheese,or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3tbspspinach basil pesto,or store bought pesto
Instructions
Pesto:
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In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients and blend for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides down with a spatula and blend again until smooth.
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For a thinner pesto, add more olive oil. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.*
Pasta:
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes just until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
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In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour to create a paste. Add the milk and whisk until smooth.
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Increase the heat to medium and continue whisking for about 2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
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Stir in the shredded cheese and continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Fold in the pesto.
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Add the pasta, stirring to combine, and cook just until the pasta is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*The pesto can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 2 weeks, or pour into ice cube molds and freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Calories: 732.79kcal
- Fat: 48.50g
- Saturated Fat: 18.95g
- Trans Fat: 0.83g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 20.07g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.40g
- Carbohydrates: 50.72g
- Fiber: 2.79g
- Sugar: 5.95g
- Protein: 24.24g
- Cholesterol: 78.25mg
- Sodium: 605.00mg
- Calcium: 530.72mg
- Potassium: 427.70mg
- Iron: 2.29mg
- Vitamin A: 345.87µg
- Vitamin C: 9.34mg
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