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pea and courgette mac and cheese
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Mac and Cheese with Garlic, Courgette and Peas

A deliciously easy mac and cheese with garlic and mustard in the sauce, two types of cheese, and green peas and courgette for vitamins and color.

Servings: 4 servings
Author: Katy English
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 500 ml milk (approx 1 pint)
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • 400 gr dry pasta
  • 2 courgettes (zucchini)
  • 2 handfuls frozen peas
  • 1 handful mature cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1 handful gouda cheese (grated)
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions

  1. Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil. Chop the ends off the courgettes, then slice them into rounds, and cut the rounds in half.

  2. Once the water's bubbling, throw in the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions. Add the courgettes and peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and vegetables together, and put to one side.

  3. Gently melt the butter on a medium heat, in a big casserole or saucepan. Once it's liquid but not bubbling, add the crushed garlic. 

  4. Fry the garlic gently for 4-5 minutes, then add the flour and stir vigorously. It will turn into a golden sort of paste.

  5. Let the paste cook on a low-medium heat for about 5 minutes (this gets rid of the floury taste) then add the milk a little bit at a time, and use a whisk to stir the flour into the liquid.

  6. Simmer the sauce for 8-10 minutes, whisking until the flour's dissolved, and the sauce is smooth and thick.

  7. Stir in the mustard, and season to taste. Whisk in the cheese until it's all melted, and the sauce is smooth again. Check the taste at this point, and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

  8. Stir in the cooked pasta, courgette and vegetables, and simmer until everything is coated in the sauce and the pasta is heated through.

  9. Serve hot, with a bit of cracked black pepper on top!