Baked Macaroni with Zucchini, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper & Cheeses

[Guest guest]

This dish is so so good! I didn't use Swiss cheese and I used less

butter....but as u will see in my notes, I stuck pretty close to the recipe. (I

halved it...thinking it would taste awful. hahaha NOW, I crave the stuff!!)

GOSH!!! I love finding great recipes!! This is vegetarian, too!!!! I think I

will try to make it less fattening next time and see if I can salvage the great

flavors. Brenda

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Baked Macaroni with Zucchini, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper & Cheeses

 

Recipe By : " From the Farmers' Market " by Richard Sax with Sandra Gluck

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : New Import

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (3/4 stick)

plus more if needed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium zucchini -- trimmed and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms -- (about 5 ounces)

1 medium-large onion -- coarsely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper -- seeds and ribs removed, cut in

1/2-inch dice

2 garlic cloves -- minced

1/4 cup flour

4 cups cold milk

1 teaspoon salt -- plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg -- plus more to taste

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce -- plus more to taste

few drops Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese -- (about 4 ounces)

1 1/4 cups grated swiss cheese -- (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese -- packed (about 1 1/2

ounces)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted

water until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and

drain again. Set aside.

 

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large

skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and the mushrooms and saute,

tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside.

 

3. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and lower the heat to medium.

Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic and saute, tossing occasionally, until the

vegetables are softened but not brown, about 8 minutes.

 

4. Sprinkle the vegetables in the skillet with the flour and stir with a wooden

spoon. If the mixture is too dry to stir, add a bit more butter. Cook until the

flour is opaque, about 4 minutes. Add the milk to the skillet and bring to a

boil, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and nutmeg and simmer the sauce 5

minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the sour cream,

Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Correct all seasonings.

 

5. In a large mixing bowl (or the pot used to cook the macaroni), toss together

the drained macaroni, reserved zucchini mixture, and the sauce. Combine the

grated Cheddar and Swiss cheeses; set aside 1/4 cup of this mixture. Add the

grated cheese mixture to the macaroni, stirring gently to combine thoroughly,

and transfer to a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Combine the reserved 1/4 cup

cheese with the grated Parmesan; scatter this mixture over the macaroni and dot

with the remaining tablespoon of butter.

 

6. Bake until crusty, about 45 minutes. Run under the broiler just until nicely

golden, about 45 seconds (watch carefully). [Mine was plenty crusty so I didn't

broil.] Serve immediately.

 

Brenda's note: OH my gosh, this is SO good!!! And it smells great! I am so in

love with this dish!! I think my little market deli that sells great big

squares of baked dishes like Mac n Cheese, Polenta w Gorganzola, etc., would

LOVE to have this recipe. People would buy it like mad, once they taste it. (I

think.)

 

I made half the recipe and baked it in a 8 x 8 x 2 " Pyrex baking pan and it

completely filled it up. I used American Beauty " Healthy Harvest " Whole Wheat

Blend Pasta. (I doubt that brand is all that much healthier than white ...but I

sure like it and think it has more flavor.) I don't like Swiss, so I used all

cheddar cheese and I don't think I used as much as called for. I used an orange

bell pepper. I don't have Tabasco, so I used a similar hot pepper sauce. OH

ME. This is like macaroni and cheese but much more interesting and flavorful.

This is going to be a permanent dish around here. PS: I didn't use as much

butter as the recipe called for. KEEPER, KEEPER!!

 

S(KitchenTested, MC'd & posted by):

" BrendaAdams "

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