TODAY’S RECIPE: Macaroni cheese

COMFORT food. SERVES 4.

Ingredients

350g pasta shapes 2 tbsp butter 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp mustard powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 3 tbsp plain flour 500ml milk 250g mix of cheeses (we used Cheshire, Cheddar and Camembert), plus extra hard cheese for the topping

Method

1 Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, drain and set aside.

2 Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook for one minute, until softened, then add mustard powder and pepper, and cook for another minute. Add flour and stir for around one minute until it starts to bubble to make a paste. Take off the heat and gradually pour in the milk, whisking all the time so the sauce doesn’t go lumpy. Return to the heat and cook for five minutes, until thickened, then add cheeses, stir until melted and fold in the pasta.

3 Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4. Tip the pasta into a baking dish and top with the extra hard cheese, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for around ten minutes, then serve.