Vegetable Mac and Cheese and Greens with Pesto Vinaigrette
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- freshly ground black pepper
- 10 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni pasta or brown riceheat noodles
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 tablespoons store bought pesto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- 2 9-ounce bags mixed salad greens, washed
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, cover carrots with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
- In a food processor, combine carrots, butter and salt and pulse to chop. While processor is running, slowly add olive oil and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, combine carrot puree with noodles, tomatoes and cheese. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned.
- While the mac and cheese is baking, make salad. In a small dish, whisk together pesto, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss with lettuce and season to taste.
hi there this serves 8 – now instead of pasta you can use 8 cups cooked brown rice if you like so this would be like a rice and cheese dish – just a diff twist but it’s either pasta OR rice not both.
what are the 8 cups of brown rice used for? it’s an awful lot of rice ! how many does this serve?