Mediterranean Baked Mac and Cheese

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Mediterranean Baked Mac and Cheese
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Health Score:
75 / 100
Difficulty:
easy
Difficulty
Preparation:
20 min.
Preparation
ready in 1 hr 5 min.
Ready in

Ingredients

for
4
For Sausage and Pasta
1 cup water
4 Italian sausage
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups Whole Wheat Penne
For Herb Cheese Sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp good-quality olive oil
2 ½ Tbsps all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsps fresh, chopped Basil
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped; divided)
2 Tbsps fresh parsley (finely chopped; divided)
3 fresh scallions (cleaned; finely chopped; divided)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (thinly sliced)
1 cup Asiago cheese (grated; divided)
salt (to taste)
freshly ground Black pepper (to taste)
How healthy are the main ingredients?
olive oilBasilparsleyrosemarysalt

Preparation steps

1.
For Sausage and Pasta:
2.
In a medium skillet set over high heat, bring the water to a boil and add the sausage; cook for about 9 or 10 minutes, or until the water evaporates. Once the skillet is dry, reduce heat to low and add the olive oil. Cook the sausage for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned on all sides. Remove sausage from skillet and cool slightly. Cut sausage into bite size pieces and set aside.
3.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
4.
For Herb Cheese Sauce:
5.
Preheat the oven to 350º F / 180º C.
6.
Heat the butter and oil in a medium sauce pan set over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, and whisk to make a paste. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and cream, whisking between each addition. Cook the sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add half of the chopped herbs and all of the sun-dried tomatoes. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat source and whisk in half of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7.
In a large casserole dish, combine the pasta with the cheese sauce, mixing to thoroughly coat the pasta. Add the sausage; stirring to incorporate. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and herbs over the top.
8.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Serve.