Pink Mac & Cheese

A good friend of mine reminded me I always talked to him about my blog and my recipes, but that I had NEVER cooked for him.  So I immediately invited him to lunch and made this impromptu comforting pasta dish.

I love pink pasta sauces… I think they’re super tasty and combine the best of both worlds – cheese sauce and tomatoes. 

PINK MAC & CHEESE

1/4 pound whole wheat pasta – penne, rigatoni, macaroni would all work

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs sofrito

8oz heavy cream

4 oz cottage cheese

3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese mix, divided

2 oz. Laughing Cow cheese or 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/4 cup crushed tomatoes

5 or 6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

10-12 basil leaves

Salt, Garlic salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a medium pot, boil water, season with salt liberally and cook pasta until al dente… approximately 10-12 minutes.  While pasta cooks, make the sauce. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.  Add sofrito and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add cream cheese and whisk together with sofrito until it melts.  Add heavy cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the Italian cheese blend.  Whisk together until all cheeses are melted and well blended.
5.  Add crushed tomatoes and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.
7. Drain cooked pasta and add to saucepan with sauce.
8. Transfer pasta and sauce to a baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese blend.
9. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and creates a golden crust.

Not too light, but delicious and comforting… my friend is a convert and now he wants me to cook for him all the time.  I should have taken a photo of his amazed face. 

Tags: basil, cottage cheese, mac & cheese, pasta, sun-dried tomatoes