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Cheesy pasta bake recipe

Cheesy pasta bake recipe

We’ve launched Tesco Community Cookery School with Jamie Oliver to help train 1,000 community cooks from across the country how best to use surplus food donations to help stop food going to waste.

Can’t choose between cauliflower cheese or macaroni and cheese? This veg-charged hybrid is a real winner. It works particularly well with leafy greens and broccoli, but feel free to mix it up with whatever veg you have available. See method

  • Serves 12
  • 30 mins, plus chopping

Ingredients

  • 1kg cauliflower, broccoli or a mixture of both
  • 750g leafy greens (kale, spinach, peas)
  • 800g dried pasta (penne, farfalle, macaroni)
  • 5ml olive oil
  • 2 litres white base sauce
  • 2 tsp yellow or Dijon mustard (optional)
  • 230g hard cheese
  • 500g stale white or brown bread (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  2. Break the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. 
  3. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, adding the cauliflower and broccoli for the last 4 minutes, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
  4. Remove and discard any tough stalky bits from the leafy greens, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
  5. Place a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients on a medium heat with the olive oil. Add the greens and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted.
  6. Add the white sauce, mustard (if using) and pasta. Grate over the cheese and give everything a good mix, adding a splash of cooking water to loosen. Season to taste.
  7. Transfer to a large deep baking tray (60x40cm).
  8. Tear the bread (if using) into small chunks and whiz in a food processor to chunky crumbs. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the pasta and season with a little black pepper.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

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