A nutritious twist on a family classic, this mac 'n' cheese has all of the delicious creamy comfort of the white kind, but with a healthy helping of goodness in the form of 3 types of green vegetables.
- 1 lb (450-500g) macaroni pasta (we use wholemeal, spelt, buckwheat or high fibre to make it more nutrition dense)
- 1 heaped tbsp butter
- 1 heaped tbsp flour (any kind of plain flour - gluten free is fine)
- 2 cups (500ml) full-fat milk (you can use dairy free if you prefer - I've made it 1/2 and 1/2 with cashew milk before and that was really yummy!)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup (100g) frozen chopped spinach
- 1 cup (150g) frozen peas
- 1 1/3 cup (200g) frozen broad beans
- 1 cup (125g) grated hard cheese (eg: Cheddar)
- fresh nutmeg (or pinch of ground nutmeg), to taste
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup (90g) breadcrumbs, optional
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, but stop cooking about 2 mins before they are cooked so that they still have a bit of a bite to them. Drain (reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water) and pour the pasta into a large casserole dish. Set aside while you make the sauce. Keep the cooking water to one side, too.
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To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, allow it to cook a couple more minutes, so that it bubbles and then just starts to turn brown and smell nutty. At this point, whisk in the flour until you have a paste, then continue to whisk and cook for another 30 secs or so to cook the flour. Pour in a little of the milk and whisk continuously so that it turns smooth and thick. Add in the rest of the milk, a little at a time, whisking continuously and waiting until it is all smooth, incorporated and thick before adding in the next bit of milk.
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After adding all the milk, whisk in the mustard and mix in the frozen greens. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 5-10 mins, until the greens are cooked and the sauce is thick, making sure to stir the sauce every minute or so to ensure it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom.
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Take off the heat and stir in the cheese, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Puree the whole thing with a stick blender until you have a smooth, light green colour sauce. Pour over the macaroni along with the reserved cooking water and mix everything together until the macaroni is covered in the sauce.
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If you are using breadcrumbs, sprinkle them over the top of the pasta, along with a grating of extra cheese if you wish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 mins, or until the casserole is slightly golden and bubbling.
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Serve warm with a side salad. We especially love this with a generous handful of rocket dressed simply with oil & vinegar and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.