Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
This Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese and the perfect summer side dish. The al dente Delallo shellbows are tossed with the most delicious sautéed vegetables and homemade cheese sauce. All topped with crispy buttery panko breadcrumbs and baked to golden brown perfection. This recipe is a home run!
If you like this recipe, try my Grilled Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad, or my Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes.
This post was sponsored by Delallo Foods. While I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
The juicy cherry tomatoes, grated fresh zucchini, diced sweet onion and tender kernels of corn come together in perfect harmony. All tossed in the creamiest cheese sauce, dusted with crispy panko breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. This recipe is the perfect way to sneak more veggies into your kid’s diet. Plus, it’s a great way to use up any extra summer produce.
Ingredients Needed for Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
Pasta – You’ll need 8-10 ounces of Delallo Food’s shellbows pasta for this recipe. Be sure to cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best. Also be sure to reserve ¼ – ½ cup of the salted pasta water for the cheese sauce. I love using the shellbows for this recipe because they scoop up all the delicious cheese sauce in each bite. Try this handy clip on colander.
Cheese Sauce – Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add butter and AP flour to form a roux. Whisk well. Next, you’ll slowly add the milk and chicken broth. Whisk continuously. Once well combined, add the shredded mozzarella and Velveeta cheese. Continuing whisking. Season with salt, black pepper and dry mustard.
** If the sauce gets too thick, reduce the heat and add a touch of the pasta water. Just be careful because the pasta water is salted, and you don’t want the cheese sauce to get too salty. Option to use more low sodium chicken broth instead.**
Vegetables – You’ll need olive oil to sauté the vegetables for this recipe. You’ll need diced sweet onion, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels and grated fresh zucchini. Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture from the zucchini using a cheesecloth.
Panko Topping – Heat a dollop of butter in a small pan. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown. The panko will toast up quickly, so be careful.
How to Make Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
Make the Pasta
Boil a pot of water and add some kosher salt to lightly season the water. Cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best. Also be sure to reserve ¼ – ½ cup of the salted pasta water for the cheese sauce. Drain the cooked pasta and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.
Make the Cheese Sauce
Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add butter and AP flour to form a roux. Whisk well. Next, you’ll slowly add the milk and chicken broth. Whisk continuously. Once well combined, add the shredded mozzarella and Velveeta cheese. Continuing whisking. Season with salt, black pepper and dry mustard.
** If the sauce gets too thick, reduce the heat and add a touch of the pasta water. Just be careful because the pasta water is salted, and you don’t want the cheese sauce to get too salty. Option to use more low sodium chicken broth instead.**
Sauté the Vegetables
Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot add the diced onion and cherry tomatoes. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onion begins to soften and lightly brown and the tomatoes begin to blister. Then, add the corn kernels and grated zucchini ( make sure to squeeze excess moisture from the zucchini with a cheesecloth). Season with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Brown the Panko
Heat a dollop of butter in a small pan. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast them in the butter. Once they are golden brown, remove them from the heat.
Assemble the Dish
Add the sautéed vegetables and al dente pasta to the cheese sauce. Toss until well combined. Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out and dust it with the golden panko. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave with a touch of water or chicken broth to reconstitute the pasta and make the cheese sauce creamy again.
Looking for more recipes?
Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 pasta pot
- 1 colander
- 1 saute pan for vegetables
- 1 sauce pan for cheese sauce
- 1 9×13 inch baking dish
- 1 sheet foil
- 1 small skillet for panko breadcrumbs
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
Pasta
- 8-10 ounces shellbows pasta, Delallo Foods, cooked al dente
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons AP flour, all purpose
- 1 cup 2% milk
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth, or bone broth
- 6 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup reserved pasta water, use as needed if the cheese gets too thick
Sautéed Summer Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup sweet onion, diced small
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 ear corn, about 1 cup, remove kernels
- 1 sml-med zucchini, about 1 cup, grated – press out moisture
- pinch kosher salt, to taste
- pinch cracked black pepper, to taste
Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted
Instructions
How to Make Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
Make the Pasta
- Boil a pot of water and add some kosher salt to lightly season the water. Cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best. Also be sure to reserve ¼ – ½ cup of the salted pasta water for the cheese sauce. Drain the cooked pasta and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add butter and AP flour to form a roux. Whisk well. Next, you’ll slowly add the milk and chicken broth. Whisk continuously. Once well combined, add the shredded mozzarella and Velveeta cheese. Continuing whisking. Season with salt, black pepper and dry mustard.** If the sauce gets too thick, reduce the heat and add a touch of the pasta water. Just be careful because the pasta water is salted, and you don’t want the cheese sauce to get too salty. Option to use more low sodium chicken broth instead.**
Sauté the Vegetables
- Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot add the diced onion and cherry tomatoes. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onion begins to soften and lightly brown and the tomatoes begin to blister. Then, add the corn kernels and grated zucchini ( make sure to squeeze excess moisture from the zucchini with a cheesecloth). Season with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Brown the Panko
- Heat a dollop of butter in a small pan. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast them in the butter. Once they are golden brown, remove them from the heat.
Assemble the Dish
- Add the sauteed vegetables and al dente pasta to the cheese sauce. Toss until well combined. Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out and dust it with the golden panko. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.
One Comment on “Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese”
I just finished cleaning up dinner and had to jump right on here to leave a review before I forgot. All week I have been making various recipes from the Healthyish page and everyone has been a hit! Tonight we enjoyed this macaroni and veggies and it was fantastic! We will definitely be enjoying this one again.