Roasted Garlic Mac & Cheese

By brenie_shydee

Ingredients

• 2 whole garlic heads
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• 10 ounce whole-grain penne (such as Barilla)
• 2 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided (about 1 cup)
• 2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Place garlic heads in a microwave-safe bowl; rub garlic heads with oil. Pour 3 tablespoons water into bottom of bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH for 4 minutes and 30 seconds or until garlic is very tender; cool slightly.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

4. Combine milk and flour in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened; remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, 1 ounce cheddar, and mozzarella.

5. Separate garlic cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Place garlic pulp and 2 cups milk mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir garlic mixture into milk mixture. Add pasta; stir to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into 6 (10-ounce) ramekins or gratin dishes or a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 3 ounces cheddar. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. Let stand 5 minutes.