Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach

Ingredients

1 box(13.25-oz.) rotini pasta

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

2 cups of cheese(I used cheddar) shredded and split into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup

1 package of frozen or dried spinach.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. If using frozen spinach, thaw and drain. Once dried, chop and set aside.
3. Cook pasta until al dente and set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted, add flower and whisk constantly until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until thick(~5 min.). Remove from heat and stir in spinach, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Dump over pasta and stir.
5. Spread pasta mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

***For lighter option: Use skim milk or even 2%, reduced fat cheese, and instead of using butter, heat milk first and whisk in flour until smooth.