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Everyone loves mac and cheese, but this version takes it somewhere a little different. This Tomato Soup Mac and Cheese starts with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and tomato paste blended into a rich, homemade soup, then simmered with pasta right in the pot and finished with melted cheddar and mozzarella before a quick bake in the oven.
The roasted tomato base is what makes it stand out, adding a deeper, slightly sweet flavor that balances the cheese perfectly. This is exactly the kind of recipe I’ve tested and adjusted over time to keep it simple but still feel special, something easy to make but good enough to crave again the next day.
Why This Recipe Is My Go-To
This dish takes me straight back to the kind of meals my mom would make when we wanted something warm and simple, nothing fancy, just something that made the whole kitchen smell good. Tomato soup was always one of those staples, and mac and cheese was the comfort food we never got tired of, so bringing the two together just made sense.
Flavor-wise, it really tastes like a creamy tomato soup wrapped around pasta, with that cheesy, melty finish you expect from a good mac and cheese. The roasted tomatoes give it a deeper, slightly sweet flavor, while the cheese softens everything and makes it rich without feeling too heavy.
I tried this a few different ways before landing on this version, and this is the one that just works every time. It’s simple, the kind of dish you end up craving again once you’ve had it.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
- Tomatoes: Using a mix of Roma and cherry tomatoes gives you the best flavor here. The Roma tomatoes add body, while the smaller ones bring a bit more sweetness once roasted.
- Tomato Paste: Don’t skip this. It deepens the flavor and makes the soup taste richer without needing extra ingredients.
- Pasta: Rigatoni or pipe rigate work best because they hold onto the sauce and give you a better texture in every bite. Cavatappi is also a great option for the same reason. Anything with ridges will do the same job. You can use macaroni if that’s what you have, but it won’t hold the sauce the same way, so I don’t really recommend it for this dish.
- Cheese – Cheddar. Use a cheese mixture of cheddar and mozzarella for the best result. The cheddar gives you that classic mac and cheese flavor, while the mozzarella makes it extra melty and smooth. Freshly shredded cheese melts better and gives you a smoother sauce, but pre-shredded works if that’s what you have. If you like a creamier texture, you can stir in a small amount of cream cheese, but it’s completely optional and not part of the original recipe.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use chicken broth if that’s what you have. It’ll just give it a slightly different depth.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Mac And Cheese With Tomato Soup
- Start by roasting the tomatoes and garlic. This step makes a big difference in flavor, you’ll notice the tomatoes soften and slightly char on top, and that’s exactly what you want.
- While that’s in the oven, cook the onion and red bell pepper until soft. You’re not rushing this part, you want them to lose that raw edge and start smelling slightly sweet.
- Once you add the tomato paste, let it cook for a minute. It deepens the flavor and takes away that sharp, acidic taste.
- After adding the broth, let everything simmer so the flavors come together. When you blend it, you should end up with a smooth, rich tomato base.
- Add the pasta directly into the soup and let it cook slowly. Stir every so often so it doesn’t stick, and you’ll see the sauce start to thicken as the pasta absorbs it.
- Once the pasta is tender, lower the heat and stir in most of the cheese. It should melt into a creamy sauce pretty quickly.
- Transfer everything to a baking dish, top with the remaining cheese, and bake just until the top melts and turns lightly golden.
- Finish with fresh basil right before serving. It makes the whole dish feel brighter and brings everything together.
Expert Tips for Success
Even though this isn’t your traditional boil-and-drain pasta, it helps to understand why this method works better. Instead of boiling the pasta separately in salted water and draining it, everything cooks together here, which is what gives this dish so much flavor.
If you grew up watching your grandma cook, you probably remember that step of salting the water before adding pasta. That same idea applies here, just in a different way. Make sure your soup base is well seasoned before adding the pasta, because that’s where all the flavor is coming from.
Keep the heat at a steady medium heat once the pasta goes in. If it’s too high, the liquid can reduce too quickly before the pasta is fully cooked. Stir it occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
If the sauce thickens too much before the pasta is ready, add a splash of broth or water. You’re looking for a creamy consistency that slowly thickens as the pasta absorbs it.
And once the cheese goes in, lower the heat. Too much heat at that stage can make the sauce lose that smooth texture.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is already rich and satisfying on its own, but pairing it with something simple on the side makes it feel like a full meal.
A crisp salad works really well here to balance everything out. Something fresh, like a tomato salad with a light dressing, helps cut through the richness of the cheese-and-tomato base.
If you want to go all in, serve it with warm garlic bread or something brushed with butter and lightly toasted. It’s perfect for scooping up the extra sauce.
You can also add a crunchy topping before baking, like a light layer of breadcrumbs for a bit of texture on top.
If you’re serving this for a gathering, pair it with other comfort-style dishes to keep everything cohesive without overcomplicating the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and that’s exactly what makes this dish different. The tomato soup acts as the base for the sauce, giving it a richer flavor with a slight tang that works really well with the cheese.
You can, especially for creamy pasta dishes like this. It creates a smoother, more velvety sauce compared to traditional tomato sauces.
Yes. You can keep everything on the stove and melt the cheese directly into the sauce. Baking just adds that golden top, but it’s optional.
No. The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, so there’s no need to boil or drain it separately. This also helps it absorb more flavor.
Keep the heat at medium heat and stir occasionally. Once the pasta is just tender, remove it from the heat or transfer it to bake so it doesn’t keep softening.
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Tomato Soup Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Roma tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1¼ pounds grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 3 tbsp olive oil 60 ml
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup basil leaves plus extra for topping
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta or pipe rigate 500
- 2 cups light mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 cups high-protein cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430°F / 220°C. Place the Roma tomatoes and garlic cloves on a baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
- Roast for about 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and charred on top.
- While the tomatoes roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan or pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir the tomato paste through the onion mixture.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, season with a little extra salt if needed, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and basil to the broth and continue simmering for about 2 minutes, until the basil softens.
- Blend the soup using a stick blender until smooth.
- Add the dry pasta directly to the soup and simmer slowly for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta cooks and begins absorbing some of the soup, slightly thickening the texture.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add ¾ of the cheddar and mozzarella and stir until fully melted and combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to an oven-safe dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 430°F / 220°C for about 10 minutes, just until the cheese melts and develops a light golden colour.
- Serve topped with fresh basil.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- When reheating, add a splash of milk or broth to loosen the sauce and bring back that creamy texture.
- Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between.
- If you baked it, you can reheat it in the oven covered with foil to keep it from drying out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
