White Lasagna Macaroni & Cheese

By Snacking in the Kitchen

I am thrilled to be once again participating in 30 Days, 30 Ways Macaroni & Cheese Blog. Last year, I made individual portions of My Big Fat Greek Mac and Cheese. This time, I combined the flavors and textures of lasagna and macaroni and cheese with stuffed pasta shells to create Vegetarian White Lasagna Macaroni and Cheese! Enjoy!

Vegetarian White Lasagna Macaroni & Cheese
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
For the stuffed shells:
22 jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 cups (8 ounces) Wisconsin Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 cup (8 ounces) Wisconsin Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin Smoked Gouda Cheese, shredded
Smoked paprika to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to box directions, reducing time by two minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside.

To make filling, heat oil in large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in spinach and sauté 3 minutes. Combine sautéed vegetables with Mozzarella, Ricotta, egg, parsley, salt and pepper. Fill cooked pasta shells with about 2 tablespoons of cheese and vegetable mixture.

To make sauce, heat oil and garlic in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Pour in milk slowly, constantly whisking. Increase heat to medium high and cook until sauce thickens, about five minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cheese until melted. Season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Ladle 1/2 cup cheese sauce into 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange 11 filled pasta shells over sauce. Pour half of remaining sauce over the stuffed pasta shells. Repeat with the remaining pasta shells and sauce.

Bake 35-45 minutes, until heated through and cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

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