Of all the dishes that were suggested for this book, mac ’n’ cheese came up most often. Everyone loves it—and everyone knows how nutritionally bad it can be. Calories start at 600 per serving and go into the thousands. It’s a dish that has become so rich that taming its fatty side proved to be quite a challenge. The base of the sauce in this version isn’t cream, but a puree of cooked onions and garlic. It gives the dish lots of flavor with not so much as a gram of fat. The very hot oven makes the breadcrumbs on top get nice and crunchy. It’s the combination of crisp and gooey textures that makes this a winning dish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　4 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni

　　1/2 cup Onion-Garlic Puree (page 213)

　　1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

　　Pinch of cayenne pepper

　　1 cup shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar, such as Cabot

　　1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

　　Salt

　　1/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural

　　1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray an 8 × 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions, 7 to 9 minutes; drain.

　　

Step 3

While the pasta is cooking, bring the Onion-Garlic Puree, mustard, and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Whisk in the cheddar until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt.

　　

Step 4

In a medium bowl, toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce to coat thoroughly. Season with salt to taste. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the panko over the top. Top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

　　

Step 5

Bake until the cheese has melted and the macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Fat: 32g (before), 6.5g (after)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 670 (before), 227 (after)

　　

Step 8

Protein: 16g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 29g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 20mg

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 487mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.