Mac And Cheese with Roasted Broccoli & Fancy Garnishes
Ingredients
Roasted Broccoli
- 1 head of broccoli
- 2 Tablespoons high-heat oil such as avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Pasta
- 8 oz gluten-free chickpea shells uncooked
Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder optional
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed and drained
Garnish
- Red pepper flakes
- Pistachios coarsely chopped
- Nutritional yeast
- Fresh dill
Instructions
For the Broccoli
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the oil, salt, and black pepper. Arrange the vegetables evenly on a sheet pan, and bake until the vegetables are golden brown, about 18-22 minutes, tossing occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta.
For the Pasta
- Cook the macaroni shells according to package instructions. Drain, and set aside.
For the Cheese Sauce
- Mix the flour, sea salt, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute, until the mixture is slightly brown.
- Add the milk, and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, and whisk until smooth.
- Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture is thickened (about 3-5 minutes). Do not let it boil.
- Once the mixture is thick (sticks to the back of the spatula), reduce the heat to low and add the cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Taste and add more salt/seasoning if desired.
- Add the cooked pasta, roasted broccoli and peas to the pot of cheese sauce, and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Let the mac and cheese cool for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese sauce has thickened a little bit and sticks to the noodles. Serve warm, and garnish with red pepper flakes, chopped pistachios, nutritional yeast and fresh dill.
Notes
I used chickpea flour because it's gluten-free and matched the flavor of the pasta shells, but you can use any sort of flour (all purpose, millet, oat, quinoa, fine cornmeal, almond meal). Just note more robust flours like teff or buckwheat will change the flavor of the final dish.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk, and stir over medium heat.
I used Banza's gluten-free chickpea shells.