Serves 4

Ingredients

350g dried penne pasta
½ head broccoli, cut into small florets
50g butter
scant ½ cup (50g) plain flour
2½ cups (600ml) milk
2 cups (280g) pre-grated Cheddar cheese
1 tsp English mustard
1 x 200g tin sweetcorn, drained
½ cup (23g) breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic bread and green salad, to serve (optional)

Method

Put the pasta in a large pan over a medium heat and pour over boiling water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for six minutes. Add the broccoli florets to the pan and cook for an additional two minutes, until the pasta and broccoli are almost tender but still retaining some bite. Drain through a colander and tip into a large baking dish in an even layer, ensuring that the broccoli is evenly distributed throughout the pasta. Set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add the flour to the pan and stir with the butter to form a thick paste. Keep stirring for around a minute to cook out the flour, then gradually add the milk, thickening and whisking between each addition until you have a thick, glossy sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat, then add 1½ cups (210g) of the grated cheese along with the mustard, sweetcorn and a generous grinding of salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta and broccoli and give everything a gentle stir in the dish to ensure the sauce is coating the pasta and broccoli. Scatter the remaining ½ cup (70g) of cheese and the breadcrumbs over the top.

If you’re making ahead to freeze:

Set the unbaked pasta bake aside until cooled to room temperature, then cover with a lid or wrap in a layer of clingfilm followed by a layer of foil, label and freeze flat for up to three months.

This can then be cooked from frozen. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark four, cover the baking dish with foil (removing any clingfilm if you used it to wrap the pasta bake before freezing) and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

If you’re cooking now:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark four then transfer the pasta bake to the hot oven to cook for 35 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Spoon into serving bowls and serve hot, with garlic bread and salad leaves alongside, if you like.

The Batch Lady: Cooking On A Budget by Suzanne Mulholland (£22, HarperCollins)

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