Cosy Pasta Bake
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This is a family recipe and a meal I have loved since I was little. It's very versatile, meaning you can swap out ingredients you don't like for ones you will enjoy more. This pasta bake can be cosy soul food for a cold day or a dish for the summertime garden meal. It's refreshing yet filling, and while it's not the quickest or simplest to make, once it's done you can put it in the freezer for a quick meal on days when you only have time to heat something up, or you can enjoy it fresh. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
These measurements are not exact as when this is made it is often estimated.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 fillets smoked fish (haddock or cod)
1 packet coldwater prawns
500ml milk + enough to cover the fish when poaching
50g butter
2tbsp plain flour
250g cheddar cheese
½ tsp Dijon mustard
500g pasta (fusilli works best)
Veg - we often use a few handfuls of spinach or some leeks
A couple of bay leaves
Black pepper
Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200℃.
Put the fish into a baking dish and add milk until covered. Add in a couple of bay leaves and a few grinds of black pepper.
Cook for 15 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked. You can tell if it's cooked if it flakes easily when pulled apart gently with a fork.
To make the cheese sauce, first take the fish out of the baking dish and pour the milk into a measuring jug. Then make this up to 500ml by adding additional milk. Melt the butter in a saucepan and over a low heat add the flour. Whisk for 1 minute for the flour to cook, and then gradually add the milk. Whisk in between to avoid lumps.
Cook the sauce over low heat, gently whisking continually until it comes to a boil. Then turn the heat down to simmer, mix in the Dijon mustard and leave to simmer for 3 minutes. Whisk now and then, and at the same time, flake the fish.
Meanwhile, grate the cheese and reserve a handful to go on top of the finished bake. Add the rest to the sauce, whisking in until melted and the sauce is smooth.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil and add a large pinch of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente - using the instructions on the packet - then drain and put back into the saucepan. Cook your veg meanwhile.
Put the fish, veg and white sauce all into the pan with the drained pasta. Mix until combined, and then spoon it into a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
If freezing, do so now.
Bake from fresh for 30 minutes, or from defrosted for 45 minutes.
Eat piping hot and enjoy!
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I agree Maddy - very tasty. Only a fork needed, so saves on washing up too!