First, let me start by saying that I retract my statement in last month’s article about loving all-things-pumpkin. I recently took it one step too far. I tried a pumpkin pasta sauce that, according to the jar, “Tastes great tossed with roasted vegetables and pasta.” Two words come to mind when describing the taste of this dish: “Throw up!”
But, I like to think there’s always a silver lining. Since I had a good amount of unused whole-wheat shell pasta, I decided to be resourceful and find another use. I came across this recipe that my daughter had tried once. While seemingly indulgent, it is a perfect compromise between comfort food and health. The spinach and whole-wheat pasta offer a bit of nutritional redemption, while the cheese sauce (warm and bubbly!) is lightened with low-fat milk and cottage cheese. I tweaked the recipe a bit, using nonfat milk and cottage cheese and fresh spinach (instead of frozen), just because I already had those items on hand – and it worked brilliantly!
Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. plain dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- 1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed (or several handfuls of fresh spinach)
- 1 ¾ cups lowfat milk, divided
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, shells, or penne
Preparation:
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Mix breadcrumbs, oil, and paprika in a small bowl. If using frozen spinach, place it in a mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
- Heat 1 ½ cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining ¼ cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Layer the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25-30 minutes.
Yields 6-8 servings
Nutrition Per Serving (1/6 recipe): 384 calories; 15 g fat; 42 g carbohydrate; 25 g protein; 611 mg sodium; 6 g fiber
Nancy Anderson, MPH, RD, LD is a registered dietitian at Nutrifit, Sport, Therapy, Inc. She works with individuals and families to make healthy eating a way of life.
