I’m not a big pasta person, but I’m breaking all the rules with this roasted tomato macaroni and cheese today.
I actually really like pasta, but my stomach – not so much. My friend likes to joke that it makes my insides rot – and for all the gluten, dairy and other stuff that you see on these pages…well, pasta/noodles are the absolute worst offender.
But mac and cheese! I do love it so.
Luckily, the advent of alternative-but-still-tasty noodles has give my stomach a bit of a reprieve, and has allowed me to eat my favorite noodle dishes without the horrendous consequences. I’m using Banza chickpea pasta here, but you can use whatever noodles your heart desires.
One of the reasons that I do love macaroni and cheese is that is the epitome of a choose your own adventure dish and I’ve done just that today. I took roasted some cherry tomatoes (because they are the best!) and mixed those into the lot. And as for the cheese? I used this amazing scotch bonnet cheddar I picked up at Trader Joe’s for some heat and awesomeness.
Finally, rather than baking this in the oven, I created the illusion of doing so by spreading some toasted panko on top. Sprinkle of parsley and BAM! You’re done.
Oh hey, if Lent’s your thing- this recipe is meat-free. ‘Tis the season.
Now go adventure- the pasta-bilities are endless!
Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Roasted tomato macaroni and cheese is an easy, stovetop version of everyone' favorite weeknight meal with scotch bonnet cheddar topped with panko.
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 TB olive oil
- 2 TB unsalted butter
- 2 TB all-purpose flour
- 2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 pound scotch bonnet cheddar (or pepper jack), shredded
- 8 ounces banza chickpea noodles (or your favorite)
- 1/2 cup toasted panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 Place the tomatoes and olive oil in a shallow pan and roast for 1 hour until soft.
- Step 3 When the tomatoes have about 15 minutes left, start cooking the pasta according to package directions.
- Step 4 Once the noodles are cooked, in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle with the flour and cook about 2 minutes until it develops some color. Add the milk and pepper and stir with a whisk until the flour has been broken up and the milk starts to thicken. Add the cheese and stir in a figure 8 with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted. Immediately add the tomatoes and cooked pasta and coat everything thoroughly. Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.