45 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 Roma tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
8 oz. macaroni pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups low fat milk
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
Make Dinner:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with oregano. Roast in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
While tomatoes are roasting, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pasta pot. Add macaroni and boil according to package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain water from pasta.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add minced garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through, 6-7 minutes. Drain beef and set aside.
To prepare béchamel sauce, melt butter over medium heat in the same skillet in which the beef was cooked. Add flour and mix well to create a thin paste. Stirring constantly, add 1/2 cup milk. Increase heat to medium high. When mixture begins to thicken, add another 1/2 cup milk. Continue to add milk while stirring constantly until a creamy sauce forms. Using a sharp knife, chop roasted tomatoes into bite size pieces and add to sauce. (Chef's Note: Tomatoes will be very soft.) Reduce heat to medium low and add ground beef and pasta to sauce. Stir to combine. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and serve immediately.