Carrot Macaroni and Cheese
photo by ColoradoCooking
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 3⁄4 lb carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 navel orange, juice and zest of, zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
- salt
- 3 cups penne rigate (9 ounces)
- 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped
- fresh ground white pepper
directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots with the zest and juice and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes. Discard the zest. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a blender and puree until very smooth.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the carrot puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is coated with a thickened sauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in three-fourths of the cheese and cook, stirring, until very creamy, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir in the tarragon and season with salt and white pepper.
- Transfer the pasta to a medium baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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Reviews
-
My husband loves carrots. I knew I had to try this. I really wasn’t sure how it would turn out but we both really loved it. Something I’d make again for sure. I only used 1/2 pound of pasta (elbow) still making the full amount of sauce, used black pepper and omitted the tarragon. After mixing it all together I did a taste test and it needed a little something, so I added almost a T. of Tabasco. Perfect!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Queen Dana
United States
I love trying new dishes. For me, food is a way of experiencing the world without leaving my home, and I'm hoping that as my two sons get older that I can convince them to come with me on my culinary adventures.