White Cheddar Pesto Mac & Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 ºF.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

In the same pan you cooked the pasta in, with the heat on medium-high, add olive oil and flour and whisk together. Cook until bubbly, about 3–5 minutes.

Whisk in milk and pepper to create a béchamel sauce. Cook sauce until it is simmering and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.

Add the white cheddar cheese and pesto, and stir until smooth and creamy. Add broccoli and drained pasta and stir until fully coated with cheese sauce. Turn off heat.

Pour mixture into a small cast iron skillet, small Dutch oven, or 8×8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until Parmesan is slightly browned.