This creamy and fresh pesto mac and cheese pasta is an all time classic loved by children and adults! Fresh and bright basil pesto is the secret and simple twist to everyone’s favourite comfort food. A perfect recipe to get spring flavours in your food without losing any of the cheesy deliciousness! The pesto adds SO MUCH FLAVOR to this simple dish you might never go back to eating regular mac and cheese.

Baked mac and cheese! Surely one of the most popular universal comfort foods, and with unlimited variations! And if you are a lover of mac and cheese, then I’m sure you have your favourite way of making it by now. But trust me and give this recipe a try. It will be the BEST Homemade Pesto Mac and Cheese you’ve ever made. Outrageously cheesy but refreshing, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper.

For me my favourite form of making Mac and cheese is baking it and the biggest reason is The topping. I mix Panko breadcrumbs with parmesan, paprika, salt, basil and melted butter and sprinkle on top. The topping crisps up beautifully and gets this ice golden brown colour when baked. So let’s try this version of MAC & CHEESE.

How do you make the best Pesto Mac and Cheese?

There are a few ingredients that make this macaroni and cheese best ever. Firstly It’s all about the cheese – it gives the dish a major flavour boost and also makes the sauce smooth, velvety, and heavenly rich. Pre-shredded, bagged cheeses don’t melt as well as cheese grated straight from the block, so be sure to do that yourself. The resulting creaminess is worth the extra step! 

Secondly it’s the pesto – homemade pesto makes the dish more refreshing and gives it a vibrant colour but store bought one works equally well. Last but not the least the mustard – which provides the perfect tangy bite that balances all that richness!

How to make the best cream sauce (roux) for your pesto mac and cheese?

The star of this recipe is the cheesiest, creamiest pesto cream sauce that sinks into every bend of the macaroni. There’s whole milk, full cream, lots of cheese, and pesto. Hers what you need to pay attention for:

• The sauce (equal parts butter and flour) is whisked together until bubbly and golden. Add the spices and cook for 30 sec.
• Whisk in room temperature – not warm – to prevent the flour from clumping.
• Cook the sauce until you see bubbles on the surface, then add the cream and cook for another minute.
• Continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes before adding the cheese.

The secret to baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom. That extra layer of cheese helps hold in the moisture when it bakes in the oven. Just be sure not to bake it too long so the macaroni doesn’t dry out! Bake just until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to make Mac and Cheese:

• Use block cheese and shred, do not buy the pre-shredded cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is great for so many things but not macaroni and cheese. It’s coated and won’t melt properly. You need to shred it yourself for the best result.
• Cook your pasta to slightly less than al dente. The reason is that this is baked mac and cheese so the pasta will continue to cook in the homemade cheese sauce in the oven. You don’t want over cooked macaroni.
• Cheese: I like to keep it simple in this recipe matured cheddar with parmesan works well with the pesto. You can also use Gruyère cheese or Monterey Jack.
• Don’t skip the breadcrumbs. That top coat of crunchy, buttery panko breadcrumbs just goes so nicely with the creamy pesto pasta.
• Storing leftovers : Let your mac and cheese come to room temperature, then spoon it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Afraid you’ll miss a post? Subscribe today and receive updates on new posts, and bonus recipes and information! Follow along on Instagram, Facebook , Tiktok and Pinterest for food inspiration and adventures.

Best Pesto Mac and Cheese

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 4 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

Pesto Mac & Cheese

• • 215 grams dry macaroni pasta 
  • 2.5 cups mature white cheddar, grated
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup fresh cream
  • 1 cup baby spinach or baby kale
  • ¼  cup basil pesto (store bought or homemade)

 

Panko Breadcrumbs Topping 

• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ tsp paprika
• dash of salt
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp finely chopped basil
• 1.5 tbsp melted butter

method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.
2. Cook the pasta (al dente) according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a skillet or heavy based oven-proof pan, heat butter over medium heat.
4. When the butter is melted, add flour and mix well. Add the spices and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until bubbly and light golden in colour. Make sure not to burn the spices. 
5. Pour in milk.  Stir continuesly  to avoid clumps for 4-5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Stir in the cream and mix well. Let the sauce cook for 2 min.
6. Add the Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Stir until well incorporated.
7. Add the grated cheddar and parmesan and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. The sauce should be creamy and thick. Add half the basil pesto and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. Now, fold in cooked pasta and spinach (you can chop it roughly if you don't have baby spinach). Stir until pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce. Gently swirl in rest of the pesto. Switch off the gas.
9. In a medium bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, paprika, parmesan, basil and melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter topping in an even layer over the Mac & Cheese.
10. Transfer Mac & Cheese to the middle oven rack. Bake for 15 min, until the topping is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbling.  To prevent the topping from burning water 10 min loosely put a foil paper on top and bake. Serve topped with basil, peashooter,or rocket leaves. Enjoy!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!