My family loves Mac and Cheese. Because of this I feel like I have tried every recipe I can get my hands on trying to come up with something easy without resorting to plastic looking processed cheese product. This recipe is one of my favorites. What makes it so awesome? The sauce is assembled in the blender! So easy! Fresh Parmesan cheese is best, if you use the pre-grated kind you may need to add extra liquid since it will absorb the surrounding liquid and may get a bit dry.
Ingredients
3 cups (12 ounces) uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)- 1 (12-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 3 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Preparation
- 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
- 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place in a large bowl.
- 3. Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add the cheese mixture to pasta, and stir well. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- 4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, panko, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
- 5. Preheat broiler (do not remove dish from the oven).
- 6. Broil pasta 1 minute or until top browns.
