Sneak some green into your gold with this feel-good mac and cheese

Name: Sneak some green into your gold with this feel-good mac and cheese
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 broccoli, chopped; 4 whole garlic cloves; 1 bunch English spinach, rinsed and chopped; 300ml thickened cream; 1 small bunch parsley, chopped; 1 cup fresh ricotta; ½ cup grated parmesan; 400g macaroni (or other small tube pasta such as penne or fusilli); ½ cup frozen peas, thawed; ½ cup grated mozzarella; ½ cup grated smoked mozzarella; rosemary sprigs, to serve

The ultimate comfort food gets even better with the addition of a helping of healthy greens.

Jessica Brook

May 28, 2025

Bake your super green mac and cheese. until it’s golden and bubbling.James Moffatt

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

For many people, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. We’ve added some healthy greens to make this simple midweek meal even better. You could round it out with a salad or serve it as a side dish alongside grilled sausages or steak.

Ingredients

1 broccoli, chopped
4 whole garlic cloves
1 bunch English spinach, rinsed and chopped
300ml thickened cream
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh ricotta
½ cup grated parmesan
400g macaroni (or other small tube pasta such as penne or fusilli)
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup grated mozzarella
½ cup grated smoked mozzarella
rosemary sprigs, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Cook the broccoli and garlic in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 4 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for a further minute. Drain the vegetables using a colander, then place in a blender with the cream, parsley, ricotta and parmesan, and blend until smooth.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in salted boiling water for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta and the cooking water to the same saucepan. Add the green sauce and the peas and toss to coat.
Step 3
Place the mixture in a 2-litre baking dish, top with the cheeses and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Top with rosemary sprigs and bake for a further minute, or until crisp.