Baked Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese is a luxurious take on a classic comfort food! Feta, asiago, sun dried tomatoes, and caramelized onions and leeks, give this baked mac and cheese casserole it’s rich flavor.

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I’ve never been a huge fan of boxed mac and cheese.

Even as a kid it weirded me out that powder could turn into cheese. Also, once it becomes the tiniest bit cold it turns into a texture nightmare. Yuck.

While my family does still occasionally indulge in an old fashioned (organic) box of mac and cheese I’ve recently had my eyes opened to the idea that mac and cheese can be so much more. Specifically, let’s pull out some flavorful veggies and unusual cheeses to make something special!

What makes Mediterranean mac and cheese special?

This unique mac and cheese recipe isn’t like your ordinary macaroni and cheese – it’s loaded with caramelized onions and leeks as well as asiago and feta cheese – two types of cheese you wouldn’t normally find in a store bought or homemade cheese sauce. This Greek version of macaroni and cheese takes things to a whole new flavor level.

While this recipe isn’t as creamy as traditional mac and cheese, it does have a lot of great textures with the pasta, cheese, and veggies. If you have pickier eaters in the house, you could consider blending some of the veggies with the cheese to make things a little smoother.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Olive oil
• Leeks
• Onion
• Garlic
• Rigatoni
• Spinach
• Milk
• Heavy cream
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Flour
• Oregano or thyme
• Rosemary
• Asiago cheese
• Feta cheese
• Salt & pepper

How to make Mediterranean macaroni and cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil over medium low heat until the butter melts.
2. Add the onions and leeks and stir to coat in the butter mixture. Turn the heat to low and allow to cook for one hour, stirring every ten minutes, until golden brown in color. Once they are done remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cut the top quarter off the head of garlic. Drizzle the other teaspoon of olive oil over the top and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Place in a 400ºF oven and allow it to roast for 30 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool before squeezing the garlic out of the papery peel.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package’s directions.
5. In a small skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until melted. Whisk in flour until fully incorporated.
7. Whisk in the milk and cream and continue to heat until hot but not boiling.
8. Add the oregano and rosemary and mix well. Add 1 cup asiago and crumble in the feta cheese. Stir until the feta is just beginning to melt.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the cheese mixture with the rigatoni, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, leeks, and roasted garlic in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper and remaining Asiago cheese. Place in the oven and broil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

Top tips

Choosing the right feta

I like to buy feta packed in brine because it stays fresh and has the most moisture. If you can’t find it packed in brine, try just buying a solid block of feta. Pre-crumbled feta will work, but won’t be as good in my opinion.

Don’t rush the caramelized onions and leeks

Part of this recipe involves caramelizing the onions and leeks. Don’t try to rush this, they need to cook low and slow in order to caramelize.

A cast iron, stainless steel, or enameled pan works best for this, but if you only have non-stick you’ll be ok. Make sure you cut the onions and leeks to be about the same size so they’ll cook evenly.

Substitutes for asiago cheese

If you can’t find asiago cheese you can substitute additional Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, or provolone. Asiago is usually found near the Parmesan and other hard cheeses at the grocery store.

How to store

Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.

Tips for customizing Mediterranean mac and cheese

• Add a small jar of sliced kalamata olives or quartered artichokes, drained of its liquid
• Garnish with minced fresh mint
• Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for an equal amount of fresh tomatoes
• Use a little bit of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, in place of the fresh spinach

FAQ

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Recipe

Baked Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

Salty feta and asiago cheese, savory vegetables, and al dente pasta make this Baked Mediterranean Mac and Cheese a super flavorful meal.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 533kcal

Author: Lindsay Moe

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Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 3 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 head garlic
• ▢ 16 ounces dry rigatoni
• ▢ 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
• ▢ ⅔ cup milk
• ▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ▢ ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme, chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup Asiago cheese, shredded
• ▢ 12 ounces feta cheese, (preferably a brick packed in brine, not pre-crumbled)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a 9 x 13 casserole dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil over medium low heat until the butter melts.
• Add the onions and leeks and stir to coat in the butter mixture. Turn the heat to low and allow to cook for one hour, stirring every ten minutes, until golden brown in color. The vegetables should just barely sizzle as they cook. If they are browning too quickly lower the heat as much as possible and if they don't seem like they're cooking at all raise the heat by small increments until they begin to do so. Once they are done remove from the heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the top quarter off the head of garlic. Drizzle the other teaspoon of olive oil over the top and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Place in the oven and allow it to roast for 30 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool before squeezing the garlic out of the papery peel.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package’s directions. Once done cooking, drain, drizzle with olive oil, and shake the colander to keep the noodles from sticking together.
• In a small skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to broil on high. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until melted. Whisk in flour until fully incorporated.
• Whisk in the milk and cream and continue to heat until hot but not boiling.
• Add the oregano (or thyme) and rosemary and mix well.
• Add 1 cup asiago and crumble in the feta cheese. Stir until the feta is just beginning to melt.
• Remove the pan from the heat and combine the cheese mixture with the rigatoni, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, leeks, and roasted garlic in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper and remaining Asiago cheese. Place in the oven and broil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

Notes

 

Tips for customizing Mediterranean mac and cheese

• Add a small jar of sliced kalamata olives or quartered artichokes, drained of its liquid
• Garnish with minced fresh mint
• Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for an equal amount of fresh tomatoes
• Use a little bit of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, in place of the fresh spinach

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1230IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 477mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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