Broccoli and Spinach Mac & Cheese

_{Updated 07.18.25}

We all have our favorite Mac & cheese recipe, I do too. Yesterday, I took the liberty of changing one of my mac & cheese recipes a little bit, incorporating vegetables and a mildly flavored and colored cheese. I used Sage Derby Cheese; an English cheddar with sage and spinach (spinach for the color, sage for a mild flavor). I added wilted spinach and broccoli to make sure I had a bright green pasta and the necessary veggies. It turned out to be a very creamy green Mac & Cheese.

A short bake in the oven to melt the extra cheese on top, but no breadcrumb topping, In the end, just a bowl of something genuinely green and genuinely satisfying. Two servings, and a cheese worth seeking out for the pantry.

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Key Ingredient in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Pasta – I used cavatappi pasta, but any pasta will do. The spiral or corkscrew shape of the cavatappi makes it well-suited to hold on the sauces and small ingredients.
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Milk
• Sage Derby cheese – this cheese is originally from the UK. It is a cheese that looks beautiful (a green marbled cheddar), but is mild as far as flavor is concerned.

How to Make Broccoli and Spinach Mac & Cheese

Step 1 – Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging.

Step 2 – Chop the broccoli fine and cook the spinach until wilted and then chop a little bit as well.

Step 3 – Make the cheese sauce from butter, flour and warm milk and add the shredded Sage Derby cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt & pepper.

Step 4 – Mix pasta with vegetables and cheese sauce and season if necessary.

Step 5 – Transfer to a dish, sprinkle with extra cheese and cook for about 20 minutes in the oven (400°F.)

Since the broccoli goes into this dish raw, it will still have a bite to it coming out of the oven.

Another Pasta with Broccoli to Try

• Salmon and Shrimp Pasta

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Broccoli and Spinach Mac & Cheese

Author: Marinka

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Pasta & Noodles

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Egg-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian

Servings: 2

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 4 ounces pasta
• 4 ounces spinach
• 8 ounces broccoli
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 ounce all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 ounces sage derby cheese
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging.
• Chop the broccoli fine or use your food processor to make broccoli rice. (NOTE 1)
• Cook the spinach just a few minutes and chop fine. Press as much liquid out of it as you can.
• Shred the cheese and make a cheese sauce. Melt the butter, add the flour, cook for 1 minute and add the milk (warm).
• Once you have a smooth sauce, add the cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix pasta with vegetables and cheese sauce.
• Transfer to dish and place dish in the oven.
• Cook for approx. 20 minutes and serve.

Notes

1. If you like some larger broccoli pieces, don’t cut it all down to rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 699kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 578mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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