White Cheddar Arugula Pesto Mac and Cheese

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In a week filled with mac and cheese, it's good to have something green to balance out the pasta-carby-cheesyness. Even if that something green is mixed in with yet another batch of pasta-carby-cheesyness. #sorryimnotsorry.

OH, and SPEAKING of hashtags (#), I caved to the social media frenzy this week. Life As A Strawberry now has a Twitter (woooooo!)  Follow me at @lifeastrawberry - I promise I'll be real funny.

Expect to see a social media add button soon - I'm in the middle of a MAJOR blog design overhaul and am really excited about bringing a new look to the site! (There may even be a Christmas cookie post to celebrate. Y'know, to wash down all that mac and cheese we've been eating all week).

SPEAKING of MAC AND CHEESE, we're now on DAY 4 of MAC AND CHEESE WEEK! (Yes, all those capital letters were necessary. I LOVE CAPITAL LETTERS). I can't believe it's almost over - but we have one last mac and cheese recipe comin' down the pipeline tomorrow. And it will blow.your.mind. (I hope).

But in the meantime, here's another super-duper twist on the world's greatest comfort food. The arugula and white cheddar in this mac and cheese give it a nice, arugula-y bite and a sharp, deep flavor, while the white wine in the sauce lends a nice, crisp burst of flavor. If you're not an arugula fan, you could easily substitute basil or spinach for a softer flavor with the same great color.

White Cheddar Arugula Pesto Mac and Cheese

• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: Serves 4

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. pasta (I used orrichiete)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• ¼ cup dry white wine (I like chardonnay) – this is optional; if you don’t want to use wine, just substitute more milk
• 1 and ¼ cups milk (I use skim)
• ½ cup arugula pesto
• 2 and ⅔ cups sharp white cheddar cheese
• ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta in very salty water until al dente.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk flour into the butter to form a roux and cook for 1 minute.
3. Whisk wine into roux a little at a time until you’ve worked out all the lumps. Then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Whisk arugula pesto into sauce. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes, until sauce has thickened again.
5. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in white cheddar cheese and pepper. Mix until cheese has melted. Add pasta to sauce and toss until pasta is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

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MAC AND CHEESE WEEK LINEUP!!

Monday - Jessie's Classic Spicy Mac and Cheese

Tuesday - White Cheddar Avocado Mac and Cheese

Wednesday - Beer Mac and Cheese

Thursday - White Cheddar Arugula Pesto Mac and Cheese

Friday - Hard Apple Cider Mac and Cheese. With Bacon.