Farmer J Mac and Cheese with Brussel Sprouts & Tallegio
Feeds: 4
35 minutes
Conchigliette
Farmer J Mac and Cheese with Brussel Sprouts & Tallegio
Mac and cheese with a grown-up streak. Taleggio melts into a thyme and Dijon white sauce, and the Brussels sprouts go in caramelised so they keep their bite under the grill.
Imogen Royall
Feeds: 4
35 minutes
Ingredients
- 320g conchigliette pasta
-
500g Brussels sprouts, halved
-
Olive oil
-
2 tbsp butter
-
2 tbsp plain flour
-
1 litre whole milk, warmed
-
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
-
1 tsp Dijon mustard
-
120g mature Cheddar, grated
-
50g Parmesan, finely grated
-
150g Taleggio, rind removed and roughly chopped
-
Whole nutmeg, freshly grated
-
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Conchigliette
From: £4.95
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
2
Trim the Brussels sprouts and halve them. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sprouts cut-side down and cook for 2–3 minutes, without moving them, until the cut sides are golden and caramelised. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3
Bring a saucepan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 5 minutes, until just under al dente. Drain the pasta and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
4
Wipe out the frying pan and melt the butter until foaming. Add the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously until you have a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for several minutes, whisking regularly to avoid lumps, until the sauce has thickened slightly. It will still be fairly loose at this stage.
5
Take the sauce off the heat and add the thyme leaves, Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Reserve a handful of the cheeses for the topping and add the rest into the sauce, mixing until melted and smooth. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper.
6
Add the drained pasta and most of the Brussels sprouts to a baking dish. Pour over the cheese sauce, mixing until everything is coated well. The mixture should be generously saucy before baking. Top with the remaining Brussels sprouts, and scatter over the extra cheese.
7
Bake for 10 until hot and bubbling. Finish under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes for a deeper golden crust, if desired. Serve hot.
Award Winning Pasta
Endless ways to enjoy it
Follow along for the journey
