Macaroni 'n' Cheese Italiano

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'I've always liked macaroni and cheese, but my husband prefers macaroni with tomato sauce. So I added spaghetti sauce and mozzarella to give my mac and cheese an Italian flavor,' writes Isabelle Wolters of Scituate, Massachusetts.

Recipe Placeholder Image
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

  • ¾ cup chopped onion

  • ¼ cup chopped celery

  • ¼ cup chopped green pepper

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

  • ½ cup meatless spaghetti sauce

  • ½ teaspoon dried basil

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 2 cups fat-free milk

  • 1 ¼ cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

  • ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

Directions

  1. Prepare pasta according to package directions until cooked but firm. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion, celery and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into sauce. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

  2. In a saucepan, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and cayenne. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheddar and mozzarella cheeses until melted. Pour over macaroni mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 262 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 406 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 16 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.