Comfort Food
Tomato and Cherry Pepper Mac and Cheese
Difficulty:
Medium
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
35 minutes
Elevate the flavor of your mac and cheese by adding our Family Recipes Marinara Sauce. The addition of sweet Italian sausage, hot cherry peppers and roasted red bell peppers creates a one-of-a-kind macaroni and cheese dish that is sure to have your guests asking for more!
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup Roasted Red Bell Peppers diced
- 1/4 cup Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 (24.5 ounce) jar Family Recipes Marinara Sauce
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1lb box short pasta, such as cavatappi or elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- In a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the sweet Italian sausage. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the Mezzetta® Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Mezzetta® Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in the flour and cook until the flour is toasted, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook for an additional 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the Mezzetta® Family Recipes Marinara Sauce and mozzarella and whisk until combined. Add the cooked pasta and fold together until the pasta is fully coated with the cheese mixture.
- Transfer the macaroni mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to the oven to bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, and the mac and cheese is bubbly, about 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.
- Enjoy!
