Broccoli cheese with wholemeal pasta & brown breadcrumbs

Method

• step 1

  Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente – this will take a couple of minutes less than pack instructions. Halfway through the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli to the pan. Drain, then toss the pasta and broccoli in the oil to coat.

• step 2

  While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, bring the milk to a simmer with the bay leaf in a separate pan, then remove from the heat and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the flour and whisk together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often until combined and beginning to stick to the pan.

• step 3

  Whisk in the warm infused milk gradually, making sure there are no lumps, then reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 8-10 mins until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in three-quarters of the cheese, the mustard (you can add more, if you like), nutmeg, plenty of black pepper and some salt. Remove the bay leaf. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

• step 4

  Tip the cooked pasta and broccoli into a large baking dish (ours measured 30 x 22cm) and pour over the sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins before serving.