Martha Stewart Baked Mac and Cheese with Broiled Tomatoes

Martha Stewart baked mac and cheese with broiled tomatoes is a creamy, crunchy-topped pasta bake with three cheeses and blistered Roma tomatoes that comes together in 70 minutes. Try this easy baked mac and cheese for weeknight dinner or summer cookouts, since it's make-ahead friendly and feeds six.

Pull the pasta from the water about 2 minutes before the package says it's done, because it keeps cooking in the oven. Cook it all the way and the mac turns soft and mushy by the time the cheese bubbles.

Martha uses three cheeses, and the sauce starts with American cheese, which melts smoothly so the sharp cheddar and Parmesan never turn grainy. Broiling the tomato rounds first blisters them and drives off their water, so they won't flood the pasta as it bakes.

Martha Stewart Baked Mac and Cheese with Broiled Tomatoes

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Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

720

kcal

A mustard-spiked cheese sauce coats cavatappi, then bakes under broiled tomatoes and a buttery panko crust. The corkscrew pasta holds the sauce while the topping turns golden and crisp.

Ingredients

• 3 Roma tomatoes
  

• Extra-virgin olive oil
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  

• 12 ounces cavatappi
  

• 3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted
  

• 1/4 cup flour
  

• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  

• 3 cups warm whole milk, warmed
  

• 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped American cheese
  

• 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
  

• 1 1/4 cups (2 ½ ounces) grated Parmesan
  

• 1 cup panko
  

Directions

• Broil the tomatoes: Preheat the broiler, slice 3 Roma tomatoes into thick rounds, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil about 8 minutes until they start to brown, then let them cool slightly.
• Boil the pasta: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and boil 12 ounces cavatappi in salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain it, saving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
• Make the roux: Return the empty pot to medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons butter. When it foams, whisk in 1/4 cup flour for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly darkened, then whisk in 2 teaspoons mustard powder.
• Cook the milk sauce: Slowly whisk in 3 cups warm whole milk and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and stir often for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
• Melt in the cheeses: Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese in 3 batches, starting with 1 cup chopped American cheese. Follow with 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup Parmesan, whisking until smooth after each, then season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Assemble the mac: Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and the reserved pasta water. Then transfer it to an 8-inch baking dish.
• Add the topping: Mix 1 cup panko with 2 tablespoons melted butter, the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup cheddar in a bowl. Top the pasta with the broiled tomatoes and the panko mixture.
• Bake until bubbly: Bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges. The panko should be golden and crisp by then.

Tools for this recipe

• Nordic Ware half sheet pan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, USA Pan 8x8 square cake pan, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this baked mac and cheese ahead of time?

The broiled tomatoes keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 day, so you can do that part early. I would also make the sauce and assemble the dish the same day, since pasta soaks up sauce as it sits.

Why does the recipe start with American cheese?

American cheese melts into a very smooth base, so the sharp cheddar and Parmesan blend in without turning grainy. Adding all three cheeses in batches over low heat helps too, because high heat can make the sauce split.

What can I use instead of cavatappi?

Any short pasta with ridges or hollows, like cellentani, shells or elbows, holds the sauce well. Keep the same 12 ounces and still pull it from the water 2 minutes early so it stays firm in the oven.

I don't have an 8-inch baking dish. What else works?

A similar-sized square or oval dish that holds about 2 quarts will do. A bigger, shallower dish spreads the mac thinner, so start checking it a few minutes earlier than the 30-minute mark.

How do I keep the mac and cheese from drying out?

Stirring the reserved 1/4 cup pasta water into the pasta and sauce keeps it loose and creamy through baking. Cooking the pasta 2 minutes under the package time matters too, because it keeps absorbing sauce in the oven.