Macaroni cheese with a twist
Average rating:
Great for a veggie supper, this traditional dish is given a colourful twist with the addition of tomatoes and fresh basil leaves
-
Serves: 4-5
-
Skill level: Easy peasy
-
Costs: Cheap as chips
Ingredients
Instead of baking the whole dish, the top can be browned under the grill, for speed. Add some cooked ham or crispy bacon or cauliflower and broccoli if you like.
- 250g (8oz) macaroni (or penne or rigatoni if you prefer)4-5 small tomatoes, cut in halves or wedges
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- A few fresh basil leaves
For the cheese sauce:
- 450ml (¾ pint) milk
- 25g (1oz) (2 tbsp) plain flour
- 25g (1oz) butter
- 1 tsp English mustard, optional
- 175g (6oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Set the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C. Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the sauce: pour the milk into a pan, whisk in the flour and add the butter. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, if using, about three quarters of the cheese and some seasoning.
- Drain the pasta, put it back in the pan and stir in the sauce. Spoon the mixture into a shallow, buttered, ovenproof dish.
- Arrange tomato halves on the top and sprinkle with pine nuts and the rest of the cheese. Bake near the top of the oven for about 20 minutes until browned and piping hot.
- Serve with a crisp winter salad or green vegetables.
Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.
Your rating
Average rating:
Loved this recipe? Try these too!
Your comments
If you want to comment on this article, leave a tip or a story, please fill in the box below.
Be the first to leave a comment!
