- Time 30 min minutes
- Serves 4
- Easy
Ingredients
- 190g Barbers 1833, finely grated
- 350g pasta
- 30g Maryland Farm salted butter
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 150g plain flour
- 300ml milk
- 200ml cream
- 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
- 200g cooked ham hock, pulled
- 200g frozen peas
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp of fresh cranberries
- 30g breadcrumbs
Method
- Preheat oven to 405°F (200°C).
- Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water 2 - 3 minutes less of time stated on the pack. In the meantime, make the cheese sauce
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and continuously stir to create a thick paste. Allow to cook for 1 minute.
- Combine the milk and cream in a jug and slowly add to the pan stirring continuously to form a smooth, glossy sauce
- Stir in the wholegrain mustard before sprinkling in 165g cheese and stir until melted. Remove from the heat add the ham hock and frozen peas and season with a little salt and pepper
- Drain the pasta reserving 50ml of the pasta water. Stir both the pasta and the reserved water through the cheese sauce and spoon into a baking dish
- In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle over the top of pasta and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden and bubbling
- Melt 50g butter in another saucepan, then add 50g plain flour. Stir continuously until a paste forms – this is called a roux. Continue cooking for 2 mins. Add the milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go, until you get a smooth sauce. Cook for 5-10 mins, add 100g of Barber’s 1833 Cheddar that has been grated, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste.
- In a small frying pan add the finely chopped onions along with a knob of butter-cook until soft
- 8. Remove the oven, allow to sit for 2 minutes before serving alongside seasonal green vegetables or a fresh green salad