I've been making versions of cheesy pasta for longer than I care to remember! This recipe was my attempt to make it vaguely more healthy by including a selection of green vegetables, including broccoli and asparagus.
This version is packed with green goodness, but fewer vegetables (both in terms of variety and quantity) also works well. Blanched peas and sweetcorn could also be added to the mix, or used as a replacement for the asparagus or green beans.
I've kept the vegetables quite large, but you could cut them into smaller bite sized pieces to make it easy to make and eat!
Don't be tempted to take it out the oven too soon, as the crispy cheesy bits are so good!
Serves 4-6
250g leek
200g Tenderstem broccoli
250g asparagus
275g fine green beans
300g penne pasta
50g butter + a knob of butter
5 tablespoons of plain flour
400ml milk
300g mature cheddar
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper
Cook the vegetables
- Trim the ends of the tenderstem broccoli.
- Remove the woody ends of the asparagus.
- Top and tail the green beans and the leek.
- Cut the leek in half, then half again, and then into slices/chunks.
- Melt a knob of butter in a small pan, and then sauté the leek until soft. Set aside to cool.
- Steam the vegetables, then set aside to cool.
broccoli spears for 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stems
green beans for 6-7 minutes until just al dente
asparagus for 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of the spears
Cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, spread the cooked vegetables over the bottom of a large, oven proof dish.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and mix through the vegetables.
Make the cheese sauce
- Grate the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now slowly add the milk, stirring all of the time.
- Once all of the milk has been added, use a whisk to ensure the sauce is lovely and smooth.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, Herbes de Provence and grate in a little nutmeg.
- Add the cheese and stir until it's melted into the sauce.
- Season with black pepper.
- Increase the heat slightly and stir for a few minutes until thickened. Set aside.
Assemble and cook the pasta bake
- Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables and pasta, and mix gently to combine.
- Place in the hot oven and cook for 25 minutes until the top of the pasta bake is nice and golden.
