A classic comfort food, this macaroni cheese is made with a twist: with cherry tomatoes, thyme and basil. You can substitute the nutmeg with 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard if you like.
Ingredients:
125g macaroni
25g unsalted butter
25g plain flour
300ml milk
A pinch of nutmeg, to your taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
40g grated Cheddar
1 tsp each dried thyme and dried basil leaves
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes until just tender.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the flour and, using a wooden spoon, stir quite vigorously to make a smooth, glossy paste. Add the milk a little at a time and stir until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens as it comes to the boil. Season, add the nutmeg, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Then remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar until melted.
Drain the pasta and mix into the cheese sauce, then transfer to an ovenproof dish, drizzled with some oil.
Scatter the Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, thyme and basil over the top. Season the tomatoes with some salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top. Enjoy!
Jurgita Vaskel is a food blogger. Visit her blog at duonosirzaidimu.wordpress.com
