A holiday favorite made with seasonal flavors & added nutrition!
Ingredients:
- 1 box macaroni noodles
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 3 Tbsp capers
- 2 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch or flour
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 medium-sized piece of Gruyere, grated
- 1 medium-sized piece of Manchego, grated
- 1/2 lb American cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water (if needed)
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to box directions and reserve at least 1 cup of the salted pasta water.
- Meanwhile, toast the walnuts: bake walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 7-8 mins, or until fragrant and golden brown. Then, set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a large, deep skillet (5-6 qts), melt butter on medium heat. Once fully melted & bubbling, start stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan once every minute. The butter will continue to bubble and will eventually (after about 3-4 minutes) darken in color and start to brown. Once it starts to brown, mix in onions, garlic, carrots, and capers and sauté until tender, about 8-10 minutes (Stir frequently to avoid burning the garlic).
- Whisk in milk and let the mixture heat up for about 3 mins.
- Whisk in cornstarch or flour and stir until combined and the mixture has thickened.
- Whisk in mustard, thyme, salt, & black pepper.
- Stir in one cheese at a time until melted. (Wait until each one has fully melted before adding the next one).
- Whisk reserved pasta water into sauce (1/4 cup at a time) until desired consistency is reached.
- In a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish, combine macaroni and cheese sauce.
- Top with any remaining shredded cheese and toasted walnuts, then enjoy!!