Last night's dinner felt pretty blog-worthy. Tonight's, not so much. But I'll share it anyway in the interest of keeping the momentum going.
I cobbled this recipe together out of several different ones I've seen around the webs lately. It's a simple premise: mac and cheese that's actually kind of healthy. Less cheese; more veggies (greens and butternut squash); whole wheat pasta. You can throw the whole thing together in the time it takes to boil the pasta water and cook the macaroni, which is great on a weeknight.
This is a good way to put to use any leafy greens you've got in the fridge that look a little past their prime. Even if they're all wilted, it doesn't matter, because you're just going to saute them up and make a sauce out of them anyway. The only important thing is to wash them really well -- and not just under running water, I'm talking about swirling them around in a big bowl of cold water for at least 2-3 minutes. You'll notice a ton of dirt left in the bowl when you take the greens out.
If you want, you can puree the sauce in a blender or food processor before stirring the pasta in, but I left mine as-is because let's face it, I'm kind of lazy.
Mac & Cheese & Greens
- 2 cups dry whole-wheat macaroni elbows
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound greens, cleaned and chopped (such as spinach, kale, collards, turnip greens, or my personal preference, chard)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
- About 1 cup of pureed butternut squash (about 2/3 of a can)
- Nutmeg
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used low-fat cheddar)
