Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, quartered
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup
- 1/4 cup Romano, plus 1/3 cup
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons
- 12 ounces mozzarella cubed (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the onion is golden, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup Romano. Spread the softened butter in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture inside the dish to coat.
In a large bowl combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and the nutmeg. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, top with the remaining bread crumb mixture, and dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Photo: Spicy Baked Macaroni Recipe

















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By mom2a2
Southern New Je...
on June 13, 2013
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The BEST!! A family favorite. I cold eat the whole pan myself! I now make it every time I need to bring a dish anywhere. It's become my signature mac and cheese that people know me for.
By wonkadonka
williston park, ny
on January 26, 2013
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This was excellent...but only because I added one quart of marinara sauce instead of the tomatoes and one pound of ground beef, which I browned separately and drained, to the completed vegetable mixture. I also used one pound of large shells instead of elbow pasta. It was a bountiful dish!
By bklyn2cat
Brooklyn, NY
on January 18, 2013
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Great dish! It would be helpful to understand that this is not meant to be a wet, gooey mac 'n cheese dish. It is flavorful and has wonderful textures. Remember, its a baked recipe. The recipe works with the ingredients as listed. Perhaps it helps to have seen Giada make the dish on her show.
Read all 185 reviews