CAPRESE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Caprese Macaroni and Cheese image

An easy-to-prepare caprese mac and cheese recipe is made entirely in the oven and topped with tomatoes, basil pesto and crispy crumbs.

Provided by Pam Cooking Spray

Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips

Time 1h15m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

Previous Next

Ingredients

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes, drained
⅓ cup refrigerated basil pesto
1 (16 ounce) package dry elbow macaroni, uncooked
4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
6 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch or shallow 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Stir together drained tomatoes and pesto in small bowl; set aside. Combine uncooked macaroni, fontina cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in large bowl. Place in dish in an even layer.
Microwave 4 tablespoons butter in large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Whisk in milk, flour, salt and pepper until blended. Pour over macaroni mixture. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over macaroni. Cover dish with aluminum foil; bake 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 20 seconds or until melted. Stir in bread crumbs. Top macaroni with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and bread crumb mixture. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes more or until golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 471.6 calories, Carbohydrate 50.2 g, Cholesterol 58.4 mg, Fat 22 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.7 g, SaturatedFat 11.9 g, Sodium 799.6 mg, Sugar 7.4 g