Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
This summer vegetable macaroni and cheese and the perfect summer dish. The al dente Delallo shellbows pasta is tossed with the most delicious sautéed vegetables and homemade cheese sauce then topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs and baked to golden brown perfection.
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.
This post was sponsored by Delallo Foods. While I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.
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.
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 tight, 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.
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 olive oil cooking spray. Set it aside.
Make the Pasta
Boil a pot of water and add some 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 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 tight, 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. Season with a pinch of salt and 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.
Storage
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.
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Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
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
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup reserved pasta water, use as needed if the cheese gets too tight
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
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted
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
Instructions
How to Make Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Set it aside.
Make the Pasta
- Boil a pot of water and add some salt to 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 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 tight, 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. Season with a pinch of salt and 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.