Thursday 5 January 2017

Homemade pasta bake with broccoli


Creamy cheesy pasta bake with some hidden veg is a must dish this winter. Filling, quick to make and enjoyed by the whole family. Who after all doesn't like cheese? 
You can of course swap broccoli for other seasonal veg like carrots, cauliflower or even Brussels sprouts!

Prep time 10 mins, cooking 20 mins

Here's what you need:
approx. 300g of pasta ideally big tubes but all shapes go :-)
handful of washed broccoli florets
150g of grated cheese, cheddar works very well
25g of butter
25g of plain or spelt flour
300ml of milk
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Here's how to do it:
In a large pot boil water and add a pinch of salt. When boiling add pasta and cook according to packet instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking add the vegetables that you are using. 
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees and set it on grill option.
In a separate pan melt the butter and slowly add flour, keep the pan on low heat and slowly start whisking the milk. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Keep the pan on low heat, stirring the sauce continuously until it starts getting thicker. Once it does add half of the grated cheese and stir it until it melts. Take off heat. Once your pasta is cooked drain it and put it back in the pot. Add the sauce, coating the pasta and veg completely. Transfer to an oven proof dish and sprinkle with left over cheese. Place in the oven on the top shelf and grill for 3-5 mins until the cheese starts getting golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and dish it out. Enjoy, told you it was easy :-)