Low Sodium Mac and Cheese Recipe

Name: Low Sodium Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 lb pasta of choice (I used medium shells); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 cloves garlic (smashed); 1 sweet onion (chopped); 2 carrots (chopped); 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 1 small zucchini (chopped); 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper; 1/2 cup nutritional yeast; 2 cups milk; 1 lemon (juiced); 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or gruyere) (optional)

Home » Dinner Recipes » Low Sodium Mac and Cheese Recipe

ByKelly Jensen First Published: November 1, 2023July 9, 2024 Last Modified:July 9, 2024

2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

Jump to Recipe

This low sodium mac and cheese recipe is rich, creamy, and loaded with roasted vegetables and a little cheese for a classic flavor! Toss the sauce with your favorite pasta for a delicious and easy dinner the whole family will love.

You can still enjoy a creamy tasty pasta even while eating low sodium. It just takes a few simple swaps! Enjoy this pasta with a chopped salad and low sodium garlic bread for a complete meal.

Want more low sodium pasta ideas? Try our low sodium tomato basil sauce, our creamy low sodium Cajun pasta, and our low sodium macaroni salad!

low salt mac and cheese sauce with roasted vegetables and shell pasta

Table of Contents

Macaroni and cheese is hands-down one of my favorite comfort foods – and it’s simple to make this traditional recipe low in sodium. When I was developing this pasta, I used a few plant-based tricks for a low sodium version like roasting and blending vegetables into the sauce. That way, you can have a thick and creamy cheese sauce with as much or as little cheese that fits in with your lifestyle.

Start by roasting garlic, onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, and spices in the oven. Blend with your favorite milk, and you can stir in a bit of cheese if desired. Toss with hot cooked pasta, and enjoy this low sodium recipe.

This Low Sodium Mac and Cheese Recipe Is

Creamy
Cheesy
Earthy
Comforting
Simple to Make
A Great Comfort Food Dinner

low sodium macaroni and cheese recipe with shells and cheese low in slat

Low Sodium Pastas

Pastas and noodles are one of our staples on a low sodium diet – most boxed pastas have 0mg sodium. However, it can be tough to find a store-bought sauce, so I love using roasted flavors to make my own.

This creamy macaroni and cheese recipe is perfect for a tasty meal for the family, and also great to make for company if you are having guests for dinner. You can make this sauce in about 45 minutes – and most of that time is roasting time- so you can enjoy extra time to prep sides or a salad.

Browse all our low sodium pasta recipes here!

What’s In This Low Salt Mac and Cheese Recipe?

See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!

Pasta – you can use elbow macaroni (I used medium shell pasta) for this recipe, just make sure that it has 0mg of sodium. Most dried Italian pastas have 0 sodium, so they are great options for a low sodium lifestyle! Cook al dente. You can use a whole wheat pasta, or even gluten free macaroni noodles if desired.
Olive Oil
Fresh Garlic
Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Zucchini
Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. Make sure you get a no-salt-added variety like!
Mustard Powder: I love adding mustard powder to this recipe instead of traditional mustard (which can contain extra sodium). The dry ground mustard powder adds a nice sharpness and tang to the filling – and has 0mg sodium!
Black Pepper
Nutritional Yeast: not to be confused with bread baking yeast, nutritional yeast has a cheesy nutty umami flavor which is great in all kinds of dishes. It has 0 mg sodium, and is great on popcorn, stirred into soups, and sauces like this!
Milk – you can use your favorite – whole milk for a creamier sauce, or skim milk for a lighter version. You can even use unsweetened almond milk for a dairy free version (just skip the cheese too).

Optional Cheese Add-Ins

To give this easy mac & cheese recipe a cheesy flavor, you can choose to add in some pre-shredded cheese if it fits in with your daily amounts.

I like to occasionally stir in some parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar, or even gruyere (a type of Swiss cheese) which can be lower in sodium than other shredded cheese. You can even try pepper jack cheese for a spicier version.

You could also add in a few ounces of cream cheese for flavor.

low sodium macaroni and cheese recipe with no salt added and nutritional yeast

How To Make This Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside, back into the pot it was cooked in.
On a large sheet pan, pour the olive oil and toss with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, mustard powder, Italian seasoning, low sodium Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Toss well so all the veggies are coated in the spices and oil.
Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, flipping halfway during cooking.
Add the vegetables to a blender. Pour in the nutritional yeast and milk. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy. Add more milk for a thinner sauce.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Pour sauce in a large pot with the noodles, and heat over medium heat until the sauce and noodles are hot. Stir in cheese (if using) and cook until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Instructions For A Baked Version

If you want to bake this mac and cheese to serve casserole style, follow these additional instructions below.
In a small bowl, mix melted unsalted butter with low sodium panko bread crumbs. Add the macaroni and cheese to a baking dish, and top with the melted butter & panko breadcrumbs.
Bake until golden brown, and mac is hot and bubbling.

low sodium mac and cheese with shell pasta low salt low cheese noodles recipe

More Low Sodium Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.

If you made this recipe please leave a star rating & comment below. Your feedback helps other people who are making this recipe.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please note I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from affiliate programs, at no additional cost to you. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

Kelly Jensen

Kelly is a food blogger, recipe developer, and loves to make easy, flavorful, low sodium recipes without added salt!