A creamy, cheesy baked tomato mac and cheese dish that's easy enough for a weeknight.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Main dish
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
Keyword: cheese, pasta
Servings: 6servings
Calories: 588kcal
Author: Trish | The infinebalance Food Blog
Ingredients
3cupssmall shell macaronimeasured dry, then cooked to packaged directions
2cupscheddar cheeseI used sharp white cheddar
1cupsour cream
¼cupparmesan
398ml1 can fire roasted tomatoes
¼teaspooncayenne
2teaspoonsoregano
1teaspoondry mustard
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1Tablespoonpestooptional
salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
½cupbread crumbs
1tablespoonsbuttercut into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a 2.8 lt (3 qt) casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to package directions in plenty of salted water. To al dente, reserving some of the pasta water, just in case, to thin the sauce later if needed.
3 cups small shell macaroni
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together cheddar, sour cream, parmesan, canned tomatoes and spices (cayenne, oregano, dry mustard, salt and pepper) and pesto if using.
2 cups cheddar cheese, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup parmesan, 398 ml 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tablespoon pesto
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the cheese mixture and toss until well combined. Add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if the dish seems a bit dry. Taste for seasoning and adjust by adding more salt and pepper if necessary. It will depend on the type and saltiness of your cheese and pesto (if using). Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Pushing it down gently to even out the top.
salt and pepper to taste
For the toppings:
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter and squeeze the butter through the bread crumbs with your fingers to form a very loose meal. Once butter feels evenly distributed, sprinkle over the casserole dish.
½ cup bread crumbs, 1 tablespoons butter
Bake in 350 oven for about 30 minutes. The casserole should be bubbly around the edges and starting to brown. If you want the top to brown a bit more, go ahead and use the broiler for a minute or so to just toast the crumbs a bit.