SPINACH POWER PESTO MACARONI AND CHEESE

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Spinach Power Pesto Macaroni and Cheese image

Another take on our beloved macaroni and cheese!

Provided by Phoebe

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Pasta     Pesto Pasta Recipes

Time 1h5m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
8 ounces baby spinach leaves, or to taste
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup prepared basil pesto, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 ¾ cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
¾ cup shredded Asiago cheese, divided
4 slices multigrain bread with crusts, cubed

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a casserole 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, about 8 minutes. Add baby spinach to the pot in the last minute of cooking; drain.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir garlic into onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk 2 tablespoons pesto, flour, black pepper, and salt into onion mixture until smooth; whisk milk in gradually. Cook and stir milk mixture until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup Asiago cheese; remove saucepan from heat and stir until cheeses are melted, about 1 minute.
  • Stir cheese mixture into macaroni mixture; pour into prepared casserole dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove casserole from oven; increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons pesto, 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Asiago cheese, and bread cubes. Remove casserole dish from oven, uncover, and top with bread mixture.
  • Bake casserole with topping in the preheated oven, uncovered, until bubbly and golden, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 778.2 calories, Carbohydrate 54.8 g, Cholesterol 120.7 mg, Fat 45.8 g, Fiber 6.2 g, Protein 39.5 g, SaturatedFat 25.8 g, Sodium 1348.1 mg, Sugar 8 g

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