MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH GREEK YOGURT AND SPINACH

Macaroni and Cheese with Greek Yogurt and Spinach image

An awesome take on macaroni and cheese! Fat-free Greek yogurt and low-fat cream cheese gives the sauce a very creamy and flavorful base--without all the fat found in heavy cream--and shredded cheeses add lots of intense flavor. Fresh spinach and salty prosciutto perfectly complement the dish!

Provided by Katie Mancuso

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

cooking spray
1 (16 ounce) package dried elbow macaroni
4 thin slices prosciutto, or more to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups fat-free plain Greek yogurt
½ (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 ½ cups shredded white Cheddar cheese
3 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach

Steps:

Set an oven rack to the top position and preheat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
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, about 8 minutes. Drain macaroni, reserving 2 1/2 cups pasta water. Pour macaroni back into the pot.
While the macaroni is cooking, place prosciutto on the prepared baking pan.
Cook prosciutto on the top rack of the preheated oven until dry and crispy, but not burnt, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop roughly. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lower the rack to the middle position.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Add garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and pepper; cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in Greek yogurt and cook until heated through and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved pasta water; cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add a generous 1/4 cup each of Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses, stirring until thoroughly melted; repeat until all cheese had been added and sauce is thick. Stir in as much of the remaining pasta water as necessary to reach desired consistency.
Stir spinach into the cooked macaroni. Add cheese sauce; stir until combined and macaroni is coated. Pour into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle prosciutto over top.
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are bubbling slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 353.3 calories, Carbohydrate 32.2 g, Cholesterol 49.6 mg, Fat 17.5 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 16.5 g, SaturatedFat 9.9 g, Sodium 241.4 mg, Sugar 2.6 g