Andrew is our pesto fanatic. He got hooked on it when Eric used to make the kids Pesto Pizza for weekend lunches when they were growing up. When Andrew started cooking for himself in his college apartments, pesto was always something he kept on hand. Trips home over breaks always included a stop at the big-box grocery store to load up with food to take back to school. 4 or 5 big jars of pesto always went back to school with him! (Jarred pesto freezes very well.) These days, if I have a pesto recipe I want to try, Andrew is the taster who determines if the dish becomes part of our repertoire and gets a spot on the blog.

Adding pesto to mac & cheese makes a nice transition from heavy-Winter-comfort-food mac & cheese to warming-up-&-lighter-Spring-fare-with-a-comforting-touch mac & cheese. Eric & I really liked this dish, but it did not get the green light to go on the blog until Andrew gave his endorsement. And he gave it, so here it is!

Pesto Mac & Cheese

Pesto Mac & Cheese (adapted from familycircle.com) Makes: 8 servings, Time Required: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 1/2 – 16 ounce box penne or farfalle pasta
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup pesto (homemade or prepared)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add the pasta and cook it for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Cook the pasta.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat just until they start to brown, about 2-5 minutes, shaking the pan to stir them. Set them aside.

Toast the pine nuts.

In the large pot that the pasta cooked in, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking it constantly for 2 minutes.

Make a roux with the melted butter and the flour.

Pour in the milk, and add the nutmeg and pesto, whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. Simmer the sauce until it is thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the milk, pesto & nutmeg to the roux.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheeses are melted and incorporated.

Add the cheeses to the sauce.

Stir in the tomatoes and the pasta. Fold the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella into the mixture.

Toss in the pasta & tomatoes.

Transfer the mac & cheese into a serving dish. Top it with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

Pesto adds a new twist to mac & cheese.

It’s always good to get an expert opinion on a dish. Thanks, Andrew!  ~Linda

Pesto Mac & Cheese (adapted from familycircle.com) Makes: 8 servings, Time Required: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 1/2 – 16 ounce box penne or farfalle pasta
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup homemade or prepared pesto
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add the pasta and cook it for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat just until they start to brown, about 2-5 minutes, shaking the pan to stir them. Set them aside.

In the large pot that the pasta cooked in, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking it constantly for 2 minutes. Pour in the milk, and add the nutmeg and pesto, whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. Simmer the sauce until it is thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheeses are melted and incorporated.

Stir in the tomatoes and the pasta. Fold the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella into the mixture. Transfer the mac & cheese into a serving dish. Top it with the toasted pine nuts and serve.