With this versatile pasta recipe you can add other vegetables like mushooms, cauliflower or green beans. You can also turn it into a low energy pasta bake by adding a crunchy topping (like savoury granola) that you cook separately. This takes less energy than re-cooking the whole dish in the oven just to crisp the topping.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 medium leek (200 – 300gms), cleaned and cut in 1cm slices
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup of peas (tinned or frozen)
- 250gm pasta (penne or fusilli)
- 50gm flour
- 50gm butter
- 450ml milk
- 90gm cheddar cheese
- 1 dessertspoon grain mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Crunchy topping
20gms butter/oil
approx. 100gms mix of breadcrumbs/oats/sunflower seeds
50gms grated cheese
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
Heat butter/oil in a saucepan. Add all the other ingredients. Stir on medium heat until cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs are golden. You have to stir frequently so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Steps
1. Boil water in a saucepan. Add pasta and a pinch of salt. Cook for the time stated in the instructions on the packet. Then drain.
2. Heat butter in a second pan and add the leek slices. Stir for a minute until leek starts to wilt.
3. Add minced garlic clove and stir into the leek.
4. Add flour and stir well.
5. Add a splash of milk and stir well as it forms a paste. Then add half the milk and stir well and then add the rest. Cook for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken.
6. While sauce is cooking, grate the cheese and add it to the sauce.
7. Add peas, mustard and stir well.
8. Add cooked pasta.
9. When the mixture is hot and bubbling you can serve it straight away, topped with some grated cheese or the crunchy topping.
This technique allows the pasta to be re-heated in a microwave and the topping added afterwards.
Or you can put the pasta in a baking dish, top with the raw topping mixture and bake at 180 degrees for about 20 mins until golden.
Adapted from: www.feedingboys.co.uk/2012/10/15/spinach-leek-and-cheese-pasta-bake
