Vegetable Pasta Bake

Sorry, pasta again guys... It's so easy! And sorry also for not having a post in so long - it's Easter Break and I've literally just settled down after probably the most hectic month of my life. I had looooads of deadlines for Uni, had to plan my 4 Year Anniversary with my boy, then it was my birthday, and to top it off, my mum was in hospital :( So you understand why I haven't had time to tell you about the wonderful world of cooking...

Anyways,  this is uber yummy AND it's also Weight Watchers approved so very healthy all round, wouldn't you say? Pretty much, if you've tried my Cheesey Pasta recipe - think that with vegetables. Mmmm!

It's so simple, feeds a family, and it's healthy. Perfect meal, huh?

Okay, here we go:

Ingredients:

1tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Plain Flour
As much Cheese as you want
Semi-Skimmed Milk - probably at least 300ml. You'll see why in a bit...
Vegetables - I chose broccoli, peas and carrots for my mixture. Add mushrooms, onions, green beans, potato if you want... It's whatever you fancy - veggies are good for you, go crazy with them.
125g Macaroni Pasta
Half a slice of wholemeal bread

Method:

1) Get 3 saucepans. As per my photo, use one for the Cheese Sauce, one for the Veggies, and one for the Macaroni. Get the kettle going for some water to boil the veg and pasta. Get these going as soon as possible.
2) Meanwhile, melt your butter in your remaining pan, and mix in the flour until you get a doughy mixture.
3) Gradually add small dashes of milk to your dough, mixing the entire time. You don't want dough to stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep doing this, gradually adding milk, until you get a creamy consistency like you would a carbonara sauce. Add in the cheese 'til it melts into the sauce. Hey ho - you've made a Cheese Sauce via the Roux method! Go you!
4) Okay, your sauce is ready. Your veg and pasta most probably is, too, by this point. Remember, if you can run a knife smoothly through the boiling items, it's ready to eat. Drain your veg and pasta.
5) In your largest saucepan, add the pasta, the veg and the cheese sauce altogether. Get a large oven-proof dish and pour your concoction into the dish, spreading evenly.
5) Whizz your bread in a food processor for a few seconds until you have breadcrumbs. Sprinkle these evenly over the pasta/veg/sauce mush.
6) Chuck the whole lot under your grill for 3-5 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden.
7) Voila! Serve, enjoy, and tell your friends :)

Kirsten x

Cheesey Pasta

My ultimate dish!

I know cheesey is spelt wrong, but this is how it's supposed to be spelt when I cook it - emphasis on the cheeeeeeeeese :D This meal is so easy, so perfect, so simple and so DELICIOUS... I have never encountered anyone who has turned their nose up at it. It doesn't look a lot to look at... BUT DO NOT LET THAT DETER YOU AWAY FROM THIS SCRUMPTIOUS MEAL!
You can't go wrong. Well, you can - of course you can. But you won't, there's always a way around mucking up a cheesey pasta dish. So, what is it? Pretty much, it's a very basic Spaghetti Carbonara. Without the white wine, without the mushrooms (if you want...). It is just as simple as the title - pasta... with cheese sauce.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Plain Flour
3 tbsp Butter
1 and 1/2 cup of Milk
Grated Cheese (As much or as little as you want)
1 tsp Smooth Mustard
Any Dried Pasta: You should know how much you need depending on how many you are serving. I normally scoop a bowl of dried pasta into the saucepan per person. (Spaghetti works well, as does any other shell or shape)
FLAVOURINGS: Bacon. Mushrooms. Onions. Vegetables. Sausage... I could go on.

The method is very simple, it's called a roux method. I learnt that in Secondary School :)

1) Start cooking the pasta. This is a very quick recipe, so it's best to boil the kettle first then add to a hot saucepan. Add your pasta shapes and a bit of salt or vegetable oil for taste.
2) Melt the butter in a hot saucepan. Sift the flour into the saucepan and mix with the butter until a dough has formed.
3) PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. While keeping an eye on your simmering pasta, add a small amount of the milk to the dough in the other pan. Mix together until the dough has formed again. Keep adding small drizzles of milk until the dough begins to relax and forms a batter substance. This is where you have to keep an eye on it, if you do not constantly stir the mixture, it will set on the bottom of the pan very, very quickly.
4) Once you have added all of the milk, you will have a creamy sauce mixture simmering away. This is where you need to add your mustard and cheese. Tough if you don't like mustard - do it anyway. I don't, and my boyfriend's mum slipped it into the dinner one night without my realising. It really brings out the taste of the cheese, even if you have a really mild type.
5) Add any of the other ingredients you want to add for flavour. Bacon is really yummy in this. Vegetables are even yummier for a healthy, vegetarian option.
6) Once your pasta is cooked, drain away the excess water and add your cheese sauce to the pasta. Stir until it's all covered, and serve! Voila!

N.B For an alternative topping, try adding breadcrumbs to the cheesey pasta and grill for a minute or so. Gives the pasta a delicious, crunchy kick.

You guys won't be disappointed... Let me know how it goes!

Kirsten x