Creamy Spinach Pasta Bake
Introduction
This dish is more substantial and not quite so creamy as a good macaroni cheese. It’s perfect mid-week fare for filling hollow legs. Serve with an interesting tossed leafy salad.
Serves: 6 or more
Ingredients
4 level Tbsp (just under 60g) butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
5 level Tbsp standard flour
3½ cups milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups grated tasty cheddar cheese
250g (8 oz) frozen spinach
400g (14 oz) pasta coils
2 Tbsp snipped chives
Extras:
6-8 cherry tomatoes, chopped, ½ cup cooked peas,100g (3-4 oz) ham off the bone, diced
Method
1 Melt butter in a small saucepan, add onion, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 7 minutes, until tender. Remove pan from the heat, stir in flour then one-third of the milk. Stir well, then mix in remaining milk. Put pan back on the heat, bring to the boil, stirring, and cook for 1 minute. Season with nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Blend in half the cheese; the sauce should be like a thick rich cream (thin with a little milk if necessary). Cover pan with a lid.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Remove spinach from wrapping, transfer to a plate, cover with paper towels and microwave on High for 3 minutes (or thaw according to packet instructions). Cool, then squeeze out excess moisture. Chop.
3 Cook pasta in plenty of gently boiling, salted water until 60-70% cooked – you should still be able to see some visible white uncooked starch if you bite into a piece. Drain and tip it into a large bowl. Pour on sauce, add spinach and chives, and tomatoes, peas and ham, if using, and mix together.
4 Turn into a buttered ovenproof dish. Scatter with cheese. Have a baking sheet (tray) in the oven to catch spills. Bake for 15 minutes or until sizzling and golden. Serve hot.