Jump to Recipe

Mac and Cheese. A staple in every kid’s menu at any restaurant, from the fast food chain to the fancy one. They just use different quality of cheese 🙂 There is a reason why. Mac and Cheese is comforting, cheesy, soft, without scary colors, creamy…all winning points for a kid.

My kids are not different: they loooove Mac and Cheese. And that’s why I love finding homemade Mac and Cheese recipes that will give them that yummy flavor that they really like and give me the reassurance that I offered them an healthy meal.

The Zucchini and White Beans Mac and Cheese deliver the promise. The main elements of a Mac and cheese are there: short pasta and a lovely variety of high quality cheese. I than added zucchini to insert some veggies and used the creamy texture fo white beans to reduce the cheese amount and increase the protein one.

You can prepare the sauce in advance and store in the fridge (or freeze) and simply combine with a freshly cooked pasta when needed. The sauce is also a lovely baby puree!

I would suggest this recipe starting from 9 months of age as beans are legumes and might be a bit too difficult to be digested by a young digestive system.

The procedure is very simple. Start finely grating the zucchini. You do not need to squeeze out the extra water, simply place them in a bowl.

In a large pan heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil, the minced garlic and onion. Sauté 2 minutes.

Add the zucchini, adjust with a pinch of salt and cook at medium for 3 min. Skip the salt if cooking for babies under 12 months.

In a food processor add the white beans (rinsed and drained) the sage and the milk. Purée for 1 minute. I like organic white beans and I pick the can with the minimum sodium content.

Add the white beans purée to the zucchini and the thyme too.

Cook for 1 min.

Add the three cheeses and combine for another minute. Turn the heat off.

Cook the pasta and reserve 1 cup of the boiling water to thin the sauce.

Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the boiling water or more to thin the sauce if needed.

Serve warm and creamy!

PrintZucchini White Beans Mac and Cheese +9MIngredients

  • 1canorganic white beans, minimum sodium
  • 1 and 1/2cupsmilk of your choice (I used whole milk lactose free)
  • 1/2medium onion, minced
  • 2clovesgarlic, minced
  • pinchsalt
  • 1cupPecorino cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cupParmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2cupFontina cheese, in cubes
  • 2medium zucchini, finely grated, not squeezed
  • 1tspdried thyme
  • 3leavessage
  • 3Tbspolive oil
  • 1lbelbow pasta
  • 1Tbspsea salt for the boiling water of the pasta

Instructions

  1. Finely grate the zucchini and place them in a bowl, do not squeeze the extra water out

  2. Add the zucchini, adjust with salt and cook at medium for 3 min.

  3. In a large pan heat 3 Tbsp olive oil, garlic and onion. Sauté 2min.

  4. In a food processor add the white beans (rinsed and drained) the sage and the milk. Purée.

  5. Add the purée to the zucchini and the thyme too. Cook 1 min.

  6. Add the cheeses and combine for another minute. Turn the heat off.

  7. Cook the pasta and reserve 1 cup of the boiling water.

  8. Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the boiling water or more to thin the sauce if needed.

    Serve warm and creamy!

More from my site

  • Cauliflower Mac and Cheese +10M
  • Healthy Alfredo sauce pasta with cauliflowers and cannellini beans
  • How to prepare the tastiest Zucchini & Carrot Meatballs for your kids
  • Summer Cannellini Beans Salad for all ages. Delicious and Easy!
  • How to make the best Italian Ground Pork Stuffed Zucchini Boats – Quick & Easy Family Dinner
  • Creamy Zucchini Ricotta Lasagna Gluten Free
  • Easy Cheesy Baked Zucchini Balls – Italian recipe
  • Healthy & Easy Chickpeas Zucchini Pesto Pasta – One family, one recipe.