In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining butter until frothy and nut-brown. Drain well and toss with a small knob of the butter to stop it from sticking together. Cook the macaroni in salted water for 2 mins less than the stated cooking time, so it still has plenty of bite. Splash of malt, cider or red wine vinegar , 500g coarsely grated, 200g chopped into small chunks , plus extra for tossing through the pasta Make this granddaddy of pasta bakes with the salty tang of Marmite, plus mustard and evaporated milk. Bake for 40 mins until bubbling, and crunchy and golden on top (if using individual dishes, check after 30 mins). Can now be cooled, covered and chilled for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month. (If you keep swapping between ingredients you’ll get a nice mix of everything on the top.) Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and add a very little drizzle of oil – holding your thumb over the bottle so just a trickle comes out. Scatter the remaining cheddar over the macaroni, then alternate between draping over pancetta slices (bunching them up a bit) and scattering with the bread cubes and remaining spring onions.

Scrape into a large ovenproof dish or several individual ones. Drain well, then stir into the cheese sauce with three-quarters of the spring onions. Season really well – keep tasting as it will need a generous amount of salt.Ĭook the macaroni following pack instructions, until it is almost tender but still has a bit of chew to it. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g of the cheddar and 25g of the Parmesan. (If you get any lumps, give it a vigorous whisk to remove.) Heat, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t catch, until the sauce is bubbling and nicely thickened. Add the rest of the milk, a little at a time at first, then gradually add more as the mixture gets saucy. Splash in some milk gradually and stir until smooth and completely incorporated. Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted, then cook to a paste for 1 min. Wipe out the pan, then add the butter, flour and mustard powder. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 1 hr.ĭrain the milk and discard the leek and bay.

Put the bay leaves, leek and milk in a pan, and gently heat until steaming but just below boiling point.

Need cheering up? This pasta bake features bacon and Parmesan with a cheddar white sauce - a comfort food classicĢ hand-cut thick slices bread (about 2cm) from a white loaf, cubed

Mac and cheese best