Mac ’n’ cheese revisited

Fed up with boring old macaroni and cheese? Try these variations - they’re so tasty, they will have the whole family asking for more.

Mac and cheese has long been an easy, family dinner – one of my favourite comfort foods. This old classic can be re-invented in so many ways using different shaped pasta from tubes to shells, and even gnocchi, to change things up.

As I am lucky enough to have my youngest son home on uni break, I thought I would take the opportunity to share a vegetarian option (which I know he loves!), as well as a sneaky cheat’s version using salami instead of cooked bacon.

The first dish is rich with sweet cumin-scented roasted kumara mixed with dark caramelised onions – those fabulous complementary flavours are brought together with the sharpness of blue cheese and fragrant freshness of rosemary.

The second option uses intensely flavoured salami with roasted red peppers, sweet semidried tomatoes, bright green peas and pungent basil pesto.

Both are finished with a topping of crunchy bread for texture – feel free to mix and match the way you add this – finely whizzed with cheese for a fine crumbly topping, or buttered and chopped for some full-on crunch.

You can easily make up your own creations using the base cheese sauce, 250g pasta (cooked) and whatever you have – cooked chicken, ham and smoked fish all work well, as well as leftover vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. FOOD If you like a little heat, throw the chilli flakes in now too. Once you add the sugar the onions will brown up more and caramelise – if your heat is a little low, you might want to increase it a bit. If the onions seem a little, dry add an extra tablespoon of olive oil and stir through, then season with salt and black pepper. Leave to cool then spoon into a sealable jar or container.

To complete the dish:

butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat until just melted. Whisk in the flour, then add the milk in three lots, stirring continuously, until well incorporated. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk while cooking over the heat until the sauce is thickened and smooth. If it misbehaves, just whisk it vigorously again until smooth – it should finish thick and silky. Add the cheeses at the end of heating and stir well to combine.

Cook the pasta for one minute less than the packet instructions advise, in plenty of salted, boiling water until only just al dente. Drain well. Add the drained pasta and cheese sauce to the kumara, add the onions and stir to combine. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 25cm x 30cm baking dish.

Roughly chop the bread and put in a food processor with the remaining butter, rosemary leaves and tablespoon of tasty cheese. Whiz to form crumbs and sprinkle over pasta. If you are a hard-core blue cheese fan, now is the time to add the second measure of it crumbled on top, but it is also great ‘‘as is’’. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve sprinkled with rosemary garnish.

Salami, red pepper & pesto pasta with semi-dried tomatoes

4 tablespoons butter

cup flour 2 cups whole milk 1 clove garlic, crushed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 cup gruyere or tasty cheese, grated

3 slices toast bread, crusts removed 2 tablespoons pine nuts

cup basil pesto

Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the salami in a large bowl with the red peppers and tomatoes. Put the peas in a jug and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for five minutes then drain and add to the salami mixture.

Heat three tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat until just melted. Whisk in the flour then add garlic, and the the milk in three lots, stirring continuously, until well incorporated. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk while cooking over the heat until the sauce is thickened and smooth. If it misbehaves, just whisk it vigorously again until smooth – it should finish thick and silky. Add the cheese at the end of heating and stir well to combine.

Cook the pasta for one minute less than the packet instructions advise, in plenty of salted, boiling water until only just al dente. Drain well. Add the drained pasta and cheese sauce to the salami mixture and stir to combine. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 25cm x 30cm baking dish. Butter the bread with remaining butter and chop into cubes. Sprinkle over pasta with pine nuts and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve dotted with pesto.

Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck