Mac and cheese
Elbow macaroni folded through a smooth cheddar sauce, then baked under buttery crumbs until the top is crisp and the edges bubble.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 190°C and butter a 2 litre baking dish.
- 2
Cook the macaroni in a large pot of well salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet says, so it is still firm in the centre.
- 3
Drain the pasta and set it aside in the colander.
- 4
Melt the 60 g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook until it bubbles and smells nutty but is still pale.
- 5
Whisk in the warm milk a ladle at a time at first, keeping the sauce smooth before adding more.
- 6
Simmer gently, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 7
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, black pepper and 225 g of the cheddar until melted and smooth.
- 8
Taste and add salt. The sauce should be well seasoned and looser than you think, since the pasta soaks some up in the oven.
- 9
Fold in the macaroni, tip it into the dish and scatter the rest of the cheddar over the top.
- 10
Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and parmesan and sprinkle evenly over the cheese.
- 11
Bake until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the crumbs are crisp and golden.
- 12
Leave it to settle before serving so the sauce thickens slightly.
Notes
- Grate the cheese from a block. Ready grated cheese is coated in starch and can make the sauce grainy.
- For a stovetop version, skip the crumbs and the oven and serve as soon as the pasta is folded into the sauce.
- It can be assembled a day ahead and chilled. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time if it goes in cold.
Equipment
Large pot, Colander, Medium saucepan, Whisk, 2 litre baking dish, Small bowl