Basil And Avocado Mac & Cheese
Community Member
August 17, 2023
This recipe was submitted by a Tasty Community Member, and hasn’t been tested by the Tasty recipe team.Submit your own recipe here!
This recipe was submitted by a Tasty Community Member, and hasn’t been tested by the Tasty recipe team.Submit your own recipe here!
Ingredients
for 4 servings
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (40 g), trimmed
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 package whole wheat pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 cup hand-grated medium cheddar cheese (100 g)
- 1 cup hand-grated colby jack cheese (100 g)
- fresh parsley, and basil and breadcrumbs, to garnish
Nutrition Info
- Calories 556
- Fat 38g
- Carbs 23g
- Fiber 5g
- Sugar 7g
- Protein 26g
Estimated values based on one serving size.
Preparation
- Make the purée: In a food processor or blender, pulse together the basil, avocado, and garlic until a smooth paste forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook 1-2 minutes shy of the directed cooking time on the box. The pasta will continue cooking in the sauce later on. Save ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta when it's done cooking.
- Make the béchamel: In a pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens into a paste, around 2-3 minutes. This is called the roux, and it will be the main thickening agent for the sauce.
- Once the roux is made, pour in all of the milk at once, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (around 5-6 minutes), turn the heat off and season with nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add both types of cheese and stir to combine the cheese with the sauce. Then, add the basil/avocado puree, pasta, and pasta water. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the pasta into bowls and finish optionally with parsley, basil, and breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
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