Pesto Mac and Cheese (Creamy Stovetop Recipe)
My creamy stovetop pesto mac and cheese is made from scratch in only 15 minutes! It’s the perfect spring side, especially for Easter Sunday. I love serving it alongside ham, but it also goes great with grilled or fried chicken. I hope you love this recipe as much as my husband, Tyler, and I do!
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My pesto mac has become a favorite in our house this spring! It’s just so refreshing and delicious, especially with the weather warming up here in Tennessee. I love making this with my homemade avocado oil pesto. It just gives it an even fresher taste!
Inspiration Behind My Pesto Mac and Cheese Recipe
Back when my husband and I traveled in our DIY camper van, we had pesto pasta A LOT! It was easy, one-pot, and tasted delicious.
But when I used to make it, I would boil the pasta then dump in a jar of premade pesto, Parmesan cheese, a little garlic powder, and salt.
Fast-forward a few years, and I decided I wanted to revamp my camper recipe into something a little more delicious. So I came up with a pesto mac and cheese.
I love how this recipe is rooted in memories but improved with our new preferences. I’m so excited to share this one with you. I hope you love it just as much as we do!
Why We Love This Pasta and Think You Will Too!
- Better Than Macaroni with Pesto Sauce: The creamy from-scratch cheese sauce levels up regular pesto pasta!
- Light and Fresh: It’s the perfect spring side with all that pesto!
- Perfect Easter Side Dish: The refreshing pesto gives regular mac and cheese on Easter a delicious twist.
- Great for Saint Patrick’s Day: The green pesto makes this a festive dish on Saint Patrick’s Feast Day.
- Simple to Make: The steps are so simple and you can whip it up in 15 minutes!
My Tips for Making Pesto Macaroni and Cheese
- Read the full recipe before you get started. This will help you know what to expect.
- Use homemade avocado oil pesto sauce. It tastes so much better than store-bought!
- Grate your cheese at home. It melts so much better than pre-shredded when making this recipe.
- Use elbow pasta for the best sauce to pasta ratio.
Best Pesto for Macaroni
My favorite pesto for macaroni is homemade! I love making a batch of my avocado oil pesto sauce. It’s super simple, lasts for a while in the freezer, and always tastes so fresh and delicious.
I highly recommend making it. You won’t be disappointed, and you get to eliminate seed oils and additives.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
- elbow pasta: or any small pasta shape
- butter: salted or unsalted works
- all-purpose flour: I use organic unbleached but you can use any all-purpose flour
- milk: I use whole milk but you can use any
- sea salt: this is a wholesome salt option I recommend
- white distilled vinegar: I use organic but you can use regular
- shredded white cheddar cheese: this goes really well with the pesto
- shredded gouda cheese: this adds a creaminess to the sauce
- pesto: homemade is best but you can use any
Variations and Add-Ins
- To add a little protein, shred chicken or slice up ham and add it in.
- For more freshness, add other veggies like spinach or broccoli.
- Swap the cheeses for your favorites.
- Add fresh garlic or garlic powder for even more flavor!
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.
How to Make Pesto Mac and Cheese
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
Cook Pasta
Fill a medium sized pot 1/4 of the way with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a tsp or two of salt to the water, if desired, for more flavorful pasta.
Add pasta to boiling water then cook as package directs (about 6-7 minutes on medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking). Start making sauce while this cooks.
Once cooked, drain pasta into the sink so there’s no more water in the pot. Set pasta aside until sauce is finished.
Make the Sauce
While pasta cooks, add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.
Turn heat to low and whisk in flour to make the roux, it will be thick. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Once roux has cooked, add milk and whisk until completely combined. There should be no more lumps.
Turn heat up to low-medium and let warm until sauce has thickened, whisking occasionally.
Add salt and vinegar. Whisk to combine.
Add shredded white cheddar and gouda cheeses. Whisk until combined and smooth.
Add pesto, whisk to combine and take off heat.
Combine Sauce and Pasta
Add drained pasta to sauce and stir to evenly mix until all noodles are coated. Enjoy!
My Favorite Way to Serve Macaroni Pesto Pasta
I absolutely love serving pesto mac and cheese alongside ham. It just goes so well together. But it would also be wonderful with grilled or fried chicken.
More Main Dishes to Serve with This Pasta
- Serve alongside oven-baked ham and cheese sliders for a fun lunch or to use up leftover Easter ham.
- Make alongside some oven-baked buttermilk fried chicken for a delicious Sunday supper.
- For a simple summer meal serve this pasta with regular hot dogs, coney dogs, or chicken burgers!
- To refreshen up a hearty meatloaf supper, add pesto mac as a side.
- Or serve it as a side dish on your Easter Sunday menu!
How to Store Leftovers
I like to store leftovers in a glass, airtight container once cooled. It’ll last in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this pasta dish.
Best Way to Reheat Leftovers
My favorite way to reheat pasta is by adding it back into the pot and warming it over medium heat. I like to add a little extra butter and milk to help refresh the pasta and sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! It’s such a good add-in.
Yes! It’s such a delicious combo. The white cheddar and gouda in my recipe go perfectly with the pesto.
More Cheesy Side Dishes To Try
If you’re looking for more cheesy from-scratch side dishes, try a few of these
- Old-Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese
- Sourdough Cheesy Corn Casserole
- Cheesy Sourdough Jalapeno Corn Casserole
- Best Bacon Cheese Grits
- Cheesy Sourdough Garlic Pull Apart Bread
- Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
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Recipe
Pesto Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup elbow pasta
- 1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (I use organic unbleached)
- 3/4 cup milk (I use whole milk)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp white distilled vinegar (I use organic)
- 1/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1/4 cup pesto (homemade is best)
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/4 of the way with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a tsp or two of salt to the water, if desired, for more flavorful pasta.
- Add pasta to boiling water then cook as package directs (about 6-7 minutes on medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking). Start making sauce while this cooks.
- Once cooked, drain pasta into the sink so there’s no more water in the pot. Set pasta aside until sauce is finished.
Make the Sauce
- While pasta cooks, add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.
- Turn heat to low and whisk in flour to make the roux, it will be thick. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Once roux has cooked, add milk and whisk until completely combined. There should be no more lumps.
- Turn heat up to low-medium and let warm until sauce has thickened, whisking occasionally.
- Add salt and vinegar. Whisk to combine.
- Add shredded white cheddar and gouda cheeses. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Add pesto, whisk to combine and take off heat.
Combine Sauce and Pasta
- Add drained pasta to sauce and stir to evenly mix until all noodles are coated. Enjoy!