Caprese Mac and Cheese
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Caprese mac and cheese is the family classic given a fresh twist with delicious Caprese flavours. Fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella take it up a notch.
When you have kids, you probably eat an awful lot of mac and cheese. Well, we do anyway. And even though I love mac and cheese (like, really love), there’s only so many times I can eat it before I get tired of it. Thus, I am forced to come up with interesting flavour additions to make this family staple a bit more interesting. Not only for us adults but also for the kids. I want them to be exposed to more than just carbs and cheese.
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I’ve added tomato slices to my mac and cheese for a really long time and wanted to amp it up a notch and since I have a big batch of home-made basil pesto in the fridge, I thought it a good idea to add a few dollops. And it was! It was also clear that I was on the path to Caprese deliciousness and decided to add some milky, luscious fior di latte which turned this Caprese mac and cheese into something rather special. All in all, this is a fabulous mac and cheese which is great for weeknight dinners but also something I will happily serve to guests.
- 100 g butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 litre milk warmed with 1 bay leaf, 1/2 onion and 5 black peppercorns
- pinch of nutmeg
- 150 g gruyere/ other strong mature cheese, grated
- salt & white pepper to taste
- 400 g tin whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 500 g pasta of your choice I used a spiral shaped tube, cooked + 1 cup of cooking water reserved
- 8 ripe tomatoes sliced into 1/2 cm slices
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 150 g fior di latte or other mozzarella of your choice
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To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan then add the flour and whisk to make a roux.
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Slowly whisk in the milk until it has been fully incorporated.
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Turn the heat down, add the nutmeg and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
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Turn down the heat then add the cheese, salt and pepper and stir until the cheese has melted.
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Mix the sauce with the pasta and add a little of the cooking water should the sauce be too thick.
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Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
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To make the tomato layer, add the salt and sugar to the tomatoes and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pour in the bottom of an oven-proof dish.
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Place half of the pasta in the dish on top of the tomatoes then top with half of the tomato slices and cheese. Dollop on the basil pesto.
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Top with the remaining pasta.
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Top with the remaining tomatoes and cheese then place in the oven.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are roasted slightly and the cheese has melted and is golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
More Caprese recipes you will love:
Grilled Caprese bruschetta
Roasted Caprese tomatoes
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[…] of the great things about mac and cheese is that it’s a great vegetarian dish. Simply Delicious shared a great caprese mac and cheese […]
[…] Complete recipe: Simply Delicious […]
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I used a casserole dish of around 40cmx20cm and all the sauce gets absorbed. In fact, I never make mac & cheese without cooking the pasta first. Perhaps your sauce is too liquid?
I commented earlier…….decided to go ahead and make this. Curious as to what size pan you used. I have so much sauce and with the pasta already cooked through nothing is being absorbed in the baking pan. I think I shall have a caprese mac and cheese soup.
Do you strain the onions out of the milk or use them?
So glad you liked it Nathalie!
Hi! I just made this tonight and the whole family loved it! It was delicious as is, husband just added crushed red pepper to it 🙂 Thank you!
That looks obscenely delicious lol!
This looks absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!
This looks divine! And a nice change from the usual Mac and cheese.