BACON WHITE CHEDDAR PESTO MAC AND CHEESE

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Bacon White Cheddar Pesto Mac and Cheese image

"A rich and bacon-y variation of the tradition macaroni and cheese pasta dish."

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 (16 ounce) box Barilla® Elbows
1/2 cup Barilla® Traditional Basil Pesto
6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces grated white Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2- or 3-quart baking dish.
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer pasta back to pot; cover and keep warm off heat.
  • Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble.
  • Place butter and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until butter is melted. Whisk flour into butter mixture, and continue whisking until flour starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the saucepan, whisking until there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium.
  • Stir grated Cheddar cheese into the cream mixture, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add basil pesto sauce and half of the crumbled bacon; stir. Transfer mixture to pot with cooked elbows; stir to combine. Pour into prepared baking dish.
  • Mix panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and cheese.
  • Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and just starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining half of bacon.
  • Preheat the oven's broiler. Place baking dish under broiler until browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.

There are no comments yet!