As fall begins and the evenings get cooler, I love to make this Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese for my kids. It’s a comforting and easy weeknight meal, and leftovers become a fantastic gourmet school lunch that can be reheated in the microwave. Also, adding greens is a great way to make mac and cheese feel more balanced.
Unique touch to my Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese
What makes this recipe unique is my California twist: roasted pasilla pepper. The pepper is not spicy but adds brightness and texture — along with smoked paprika, it truly takes this dish up a notch.
Ingredients for the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese
The ingredients for the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese are:
Roasted broccolini
- Broccolini
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pasilla pepper
Mac and Cheese
- Pasta, preferably Cavatappi : it collects the sauce in all it’s crevices
- Salted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Chili flakes
- Basil
- Cheeses such as Fontina, White cheddar and Gruyere
Bread topping (optional)
- Day-old sourdough bread
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Dried basil
How to make the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese
The pasta that I prefer to use here is Cavatappi. The swirls in the holed corkscrew-shaped pasta collect the cheese sauce quite well. You can get the pasta at a grocery store and you can look for deals on this pasta too.
While the pasta is boiling, I start roasting the broccolini and pasilla pepper. I have been really enjoying broccolini the past few years. Broccolini is a hybrid vegetable, a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, developed in Japan. While broccoli has thick stems and big, full florets, broccolini has thin, slender and tender stems with sparse florets.
Other ways to use Broccolini : My absolute favorite way to enjoy broccolini is to roast it at a high temperature to give the broccolini crispy edges. (If I’m making a side, I’ll grate parmesan cheese and lemon zest on the top.)
Cheese sauce
While the broccolini is roasting, I start on my cheesy sauce. I choose fontina, white cheddar and gruyere as they melt beautifully. I like to buy blocks of cheese and grate them fresh, but feel free to use store-bought grated cheese.
The sauce begins with a roux, which is typically a mix of butter and flour, to thicken the sauce. Make sure you cook the flour well, so you don’t end up with the taste of raw flour in the mixture.
Then I add whole milk, whisking well to remove any lumps, followed by spices like smoked paprika, chile flakes and garlic powder, along with the pasilla pepper, basil and cheese. You coat the pasta in the sauce on the stove — no baking required.
Breadcrumb topping
The breadcrumb topping is completely optional, but it does give the mac and cheese a gourmet crunch. Stale sourdough bread would work well here, but it’s totally fine with fresh bread too. I keep it simple by sauteing the breadcrumbs in olive oil, salt and pepper to give it a toasty flavor. I also add dried basil, but you can skip it, or swap in thyme or even parsley.
Finally, we assemble the mac and cheese by adding the breadcrumbs, roasted broccolini and loads of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. It is so delicious that you probably won’t stop at one serving.
How do I serve the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese
My husband and I love a glass of chilled Chardonnay as we devour this cheesy, gooey bowl of goodness. And it makes for an easy morning, since the kids’ lunches are already pre-packed the night before!
Can I make the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! You can make the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese a couple of days ahead of time, and re-heat it on the stove top or microwave it by adding a little bit of water to loosen the sauce.
How do I store the leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for upto 2 days. Reheat it on the stove top or microwave it by adding a little bit of water to loosen the sauce.
What kind of pan do you recommend to use for the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese?
Use a Staub skillet 12 inch in size to make the mac and cheese. I have a similar one from Staub.
Where can I find pasilla peppers?
Pasilla peppers can be found at regular grocery stores or Mexican grocery stores.
Other winter dinner recipes that are warm and cozy:
- Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls
- Gobi Manchurian Gravy
- Tofu Banh Mi Bowls
- Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash
If you do make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Gourmet Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Roasted broccolini
- 8 ounces broccolini, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pasilla pepper
Mac and Cheese
- 12 ounces pasta, preferably Cavatappi
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chile flakes
- 1/2 cup finely chopped basil
- 1 cup heaped grated fontina
- 1/2 cup heaped grated white cheddar
- 1/2 cup heaped grated gruyere
Bread topping (optional)
- 4–5 slices day-old sourdough bread, cut into coarse pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Freshly grated parmesan, for serving
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Make the roasted broccolini
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a baking sheet, toss the broccolini in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the pieces out so they’re not touching as much as possible. Place the pasilla pepper on the side of the broccolini.
- Bake for about 13 to 14 minutes, until slightly charred.
- Remove from the oven and set aside. Wrap the pasilla pepper in an aluminum foil to further soften it and set aside.
Mac and Cheese
- Boil the pasta in salted water per the package instructions, then drain.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a large saucepan, on medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the all-purpose flour and whisk for about 2 minutes until the flour is cooked.
- Add the milk gradually and whisk thoroughly until there are no flour lumps, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and chile flakes, and whisk to combine. Turn the heat down to low.
- Remove the pasilla pepper from the foil, cut off the stem and chop the pepper into tiny pieces. (You can leave the seeds in.)
- Add the pepper and basil to the flour-and-milk mixture.
- Add the cheeses and mix to combine. Switch off the heat.
- Add the drained pasta and mix until well combined.
Bread topping (optional)
- Blitz the bread in a food processor, until it turns into crumbs.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add olive oil. Heat for a minute.
- Add the crumbs, salt, pepper and dried basil, and stir to combine.
- Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs are crusty and slightly brown in color.
Assembly
- Top the mac and cheese with the crusty bread topping.
- Top with the roasted broccolini. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on the top.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
How do I serve the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese?
- My husband and I love a glass of chilled Chardonnay as we devour this cheesy, gooey bowl of goodness. And it makes for an easy morning, since the kids’ lunches are already pre-packed the night before!
Can I make the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese ahead of time?
- Yes, absolutely! You can make the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese a couple of days ahead of time, and re-heat it on the stove top or microwave it by adding a little bit of water to loosen the sauce.
How do I store the leftovers?
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for upto 2 days. Reheat it on the stove top or microwave it by adding a little bit of water to loosen the sauce.
What kind of pan do you recommend to use for the Roasted Broccolini Mac and Cheese?
- Use a Staub skillet 12 inch in size to make the mac and cheese. I have a similar one from Staub.
Where can I find pasilla peppers?
- Pasilla peppers can be found at regular grocery stores or Mexican grocery stores.
