Wholemeal pasta bake with broccoli recipe

This is a simple pasta bake recipe that I used to cook a lot in the 1980s; I had forgotten what a lovely midweek dinner this makes.

Timings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40-50 minutes

Serves

Four

Ingredients

• 250g wholemeal pasta, such as macaroni

• 150ml whole milk

• 300ml double cream

• 200g cheddar, grated

• 1 head (300g) of broccoli

• 150g spring onions, finely chopped

For the crust

• 30g breadcrumbs

• 50g cheddar, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5.

2. Cook the pasta in a pan of well-salted water according to the packet instructions.

3. Drain in a colander and set to one side.

4. Meanwhile, bring the milk and cream to the boil in a saucepan. When it starts to boil, remove from the heat and add the grated cheddar. Stir to melt the cheese and then add 10 twists of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

5. Remove the florets of the broccoli and cut them into 1cm pieces. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes, drain and add to the cheese sauce along with the finely chopped spring onions.

6. Put the pasta in a baking dish (mine is 25cm x 18cm) and add the sauce. Stir together until the broccoli and spring onion are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the top of the dish evenly with the breadcrumbs and cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve the pasta bake with a green salad.