One Pot Veggie & Pesto Mac & Cheese
I’m going to just say it. The two of us almost ate this entire one pot meal in one sitting. It was THAT good.
I don’t know many people that don’t love a good Mac and Cheese recipe. This one is hearty, cooks up in no time and is totally delish. As always, I like to make recipes that are totally adaptable so feel free to use whatever fresh or frozen veggies you have kicking around. Same goes with the addition or substitution of different cheeses.
My number one tip for all recipes, especially ones like these, is ALWAYS use freshly grated cheese. I know. I know. Buying a pre-grated bagged cheese is so simple BUT it will never taste or melt the same way as freshly grated. I’m the first one to admit that I can be a lazy a$$ but not when it comes to this recipe. I GRATE.
Mac and Cheese was a staple in my home when I was a kid. My mom used to make it her own way with no measured ingredients and it was really good. When I had my own kids, I would never have the time or patience to fuss around with all the steps that go into making a roux or bechamel let alone standing around grating 3 different cheeses for my mac. Yes, I’m guilty of using the BOXED KD and the kids still love it. Ugh, that powdered cheese is actually so cringe worthy but for some reason it tastes good once you load in the butter and the milk.
Once I started experimenting with different ONE POT pasta recipes there was no going back to boxed. This is such a simple way of throwing everything together and having a full meal in a pot is nothing short of magical.
This Veggie & Pesto Mac and Cheese is a delectable one-pot pasta dish that’s a breeze to make, easy to clean up, and will be a surefire hit with your family. You can definitely make this with gluten-free pasta and switch up a few ingredients to your own taste.
Whether you’re all about the easy cleanup or that sinful sound that this dish makes when you stir it around, this recipe has you covered!
- 1 (500g) package of small shaped pasta - I used fiorfiore lumanconi
- 2 cups chopped broccoli (raw or frozen)
- 4½ cups water
- 1¼ cups milk (2% or whole)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded marble or sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano- Regianno cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato pesto
- 1 large handful of baby spinach
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- In a large pot, bring 4½ cups of water to a boil over high heat with 1 heaping teaspoon of sea salt. Add in the pasta, and broccoli.
- Cook & stir over medium high heat for 8 -9 minutes. The water will start to absorb into the pasta. Stir in the milk, yogurt and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes.
- Add the two cheeses, garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne, salted butter, tomato pesto, spinach and stir until creamy. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add a bit more milk if the sauce starts to thicken too much. Best if served from stovetop to table asap. Enjoy!
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