If you like a caprese salad, you will love this caprese-inspired mac ‘n cheese. It’s Italian decadence that’s bound to impress any dinner guest, Chef! Al dente pasta is generously covered in a thick, creamy, homemade cheese bechamel sauce, dotted with blistered baby tomatoes & sun-dried tomatoes. Served with a basil pesto drizzle and fresh, peppery basil.
Caprese-style Mac ‘n Cheese
Caprese-style Mac ‘n Cheese
with fresh basil & baby tomatoes
Hands on Time: 20 - 40 minutes
Overall Time: 40 - 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- Baby Tomatoes
- Cake Flour
- Cream Cheese
- Fresh Basil
- Garlic Clove
- Garlic Cloves
- Low Fat UHT Milk
- Lumachette Pasta
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Pesto Princess Basil Pesto
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Butter
AL DENTE PASTA
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving the pasta water, and toss through a drizzle of olive oil.
BEST BECHAMEL BY FAR
Place a small pot over medium heat with 40g of butter. Once melted, vigorously whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook out, 1-2 minutes (stirring constantly). Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce thickens slightly. If the béchamel is too thick for your liking, loosen with the reserved pasta water until desired consistency. Stir through the cream cheese and the grated cheese until melted. Remove from the heat and season.
BAKE UNTIL BLISTERED
In an oven-proof dish, mix together the pasta, the cheese sauce, and the grated garlic. Top with the drained sun-dried tomato slices and the halved baby tomatoes. Lightly drizzle with oil and bake in the hot oven until blistered, 15-20 minutes.
PESTO DRIZZLE
In a bowl, loosen the pesto with olive oil in 5ml increments until drizzling consistency.
CAPRESE MAC ‘N CHEESE!
Dish up a heaping helping of the caprese mac ‘n cheese. Drizzle over the loosened basil pesto and garnish with the picked basil.
Lumachette Pasta - 100g
Cake Flour - 20ml
Low Fat UHT Milk - 150ml
Cream Cheese - 30ml
Mozzarella Cheese - 40g
Garlic Clove - 1
Sun-dried Tomatoes - 30g
Baby Tomatoes - 80g
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 30ml
Fresh Basil - 3g
AL DENTE PASTA
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving the pasta water, and toss through a drizzle of olive oil.
BEST BECHAMEL BY FAR
Place a small pot over medium heat with 80g of butter. Once melted, vigorously whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook out, 1-2 minutes (stirring constantly). Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce thickens slightly. If the béchamel is too thick for your liking, loosen with the reserved pasta water until desired consistency. Stir through the cream cheese and the grated cheese until melted. Remove from the heat and season.
BAKE UNTIL BLISTERED
In an oven-proof dish, mix together the pasta, the cheese sauce, and the grated garlic. Top with the drained sun-dried tomato slices and the halved baby tomatoes. Lightly drizzle with oil and bake in the hot oven until blistered, 15-20 minutes.
PESTO DRIZZLE
In a bowl, loosen the pesto with olive oil in 5ml increments until drizzling consistency.
CAPRESE MAC ‘N CHEESE!
Dish up a heaping helping of the caprese mac ‘n cheese. Drizzle over the loosened basil pesto and garnish with the picked basil.
Lumachette Pasta - 200g
Cake Flour - 40ml
Low Fat UHT Milk - 300ml
Cream Cheese - 60ml
Mozzarella Cheese - 80g
Garlic Clove - 1
Sun-dried Tomatoes - 60g
Baby Tomatoes - 160g
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 60ml
Fresh Basil - 5g
AL DENTE PASTA
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving the pasta water, and toss through a drizzle of olive oil.
BEST BECHAMEL BY FAR
Place a small pot over medium heat with 120g of butter. Once melted, vigorously whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook out, 2-3 minutes (stirring constantly). Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce thickens slightly. If the béchamel is too thick for your liking, loosen with the reserved pasta water until desired consistency. Stir through the cream cheese and the grated cheese until melted. Remove from the heat and season.
BAKE UNTIL BLISTERED
In an oven-proof dish, mix together the pasta, the cheese sauce, and the grated garlic. Top with the drained sun-dried tomato slices and the halved baby tomatoes. Lightly drizzle with oil and bake in the hot oven until blistered, 15-20 minutes.
PESTO DRIZZLE
In a bowl, loosen the pesto with olive oil in 5ml increments until drizzling consistency.
CAPRESE MAC ‘N CHEESE!
Dish up a heaping helping of the caprese mac ‘n cheese. Drizzle over the loosened basil pesto and garnish with the picked basil.
Lumachette Pasta - 300g
Cake Flour - 60ml
Low Fat UHT Milk - 450ml
Cream Cheese - 90ml
Mozzarella Cheese - 120g
Garlic Cloves - 2
Sun-dried Tomatoes - 90g
Baby Tomatoes - 240g
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 90ml
Fresh Basil - 8g
AL DENTE PASTA
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving the pasta water, and toss through a drizzle of olive oil.
BEST BECHAMEL BY FAR
Place a small pot over medium heat with 160g of butter. Once melted, vigorously whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook out, 2-3 minutes (stirring constantly). Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce thickens slightly. If the béchamel is too thick for your liking, loosen with the reserved pasta water until desired consistency. Stir through the cream cheese and the grated cheese until melted. Remove from the heat and season.
BAKE UNTIL BLISTERED
In an oven-proof dish, mix together the pasta, the cheese sauce, and the grated garlic. Top with the drained sun-dried tomato slices and the halved baby tomatoes. Lightly drizzle with oil and bake in the hot oven until blistered, 15-20 minutes.
PESTO DRIZZLE
In a bowl, loosen the pesto with olive oil in 5ml increments until drizzling consistency.
CAPRESE MAC ‘N CHEESE!
Dish up a heaping helping of the caprese mac ‘n cheese. Drizzle over the loosened basil pesto and garnish with the picked basil.
Lumachette Pasta - 400g
Cake Flour - 80ml
Low Fat UHT Milk - 600ml
Cream Cheese - 125ml
Mozzarella Cheese - 160g
Garlic Cloves - 2
Sun-dried Tomatoes - 120g
Baby Tomatoes - 320g
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 125ml
Fresh Basil - 10g
Woolies Products in this dish
