Fed up with ordinary macaroni cheese? Try our tasty version. It also freezes beautifully.
Ingredients
500g penne
1l milk plus a little extra
85g butter
2tsp ready-made English mustard
85g plain flour
Grated nutmeg
2 large sliced leeks
400g bag of spinach
350g mature grated cheddar
85g walnut pieces
4 slices diced French bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan and boil leeks with pasta for 10 minutes before draining.
- While this is cooking, place the flour, butter, nutmeg, mustard and milk in a large saucepan and season. Gently heat while stirring until thickened and bubbling. Cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in two thirds of the cheese and remove from heat. Toss remaining cheese with the walnuts and bread.
- Wilt the spinach with water or cook it in the microwave before squeezing to remove excess water. Stir into the sauce with the leeks and pasta and season to taste. If needed, use a little milk to thin the mixture. Divide the pasta between two ovenproof dishes and top with bread mixture. If you wish to eat straightaway, cook for 40 minutes until golden or alternatively cool and freeze.
Serves 6