Spinach & Feta Cheese Mac
Spinach and feta is a fabulous flavour combination that I enjoy in various forms with my current favourite being in a creamy sauce! This spinach and feta cheese tortellini is basically mac and cheese with spinach and feta added to the sauce, along with plenty of fresh herbs. The sauce is a basic white sauce starting with butter and flour to make a roux before adding milk to form a lusciously thick sauce. Cheese is melted into the sauce before adding the spinach and crumbled feta along with fresh parsley, dill and green onions. You can use this sauce for pretty much anything and its perfect when combined with pasta sauce as macaroni or tortellini. I like to finish everything off by topping with even more cheese and baking it until the cheese has melted all over the top! Yum!
Spinach and Feta Cheese (mac) Tortellini
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 6
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
10 ounces spinach (thawed frozen or wilted fresh)
1 cup feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pound cheese tortellini, cooked (gluten-free for gluten-free)
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large, oven safe, saucepan over medium heat until it foams and starts to brown a little.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook until it starts to brown a little, about a minute.
- Add the milk and cook until it thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Add the parmesan and mozzarella and cook until it melts into the sauce.
- Mix in the spinach, feta, dill, parsley, green onions.
- Mix in the tortellini, sprinkle on the mozzarella and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the cheese has melted and the sides are bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Option: Add a splash of lemon juice to the sauce!
Option: Top with panko bread crumbs, optionally mixed with melted butter, before baking for a crunchy topping!
Tip: Cook the tortellini while you make the sauce.
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