Mac ’n’ cheese revisited
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:
Serves 6 Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 40 minutes 1 yellow kumara 1 orange kumara 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons runny honey teaspoon cumin seeds teaspoon chilli flakes Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup caramelised onions (see recipe above or use store-bought) 4 tablespoons butter
cup flour 2 cups whole milk
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup tasty cheese, grated plus 1 tablespoon
50g blue cheese crumbled (plus extra 50g, optional)
250g pasta shells, tubes or macaroni
3 slices white toast bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves plus extra to garnish
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Peel and chop the kumara into 4cm pieces and put in a roasting dish. Drizzle with oil and honey and sprinkle with cumin seeds, chilli flakes, sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until just soft.
Heat three tablespoons of the 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. 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