We’ve replaced some of the pasta in this macaroni cheese pasta bake recipe with veg for a lighter, more nutritious bake that will still hit the spot when you’re craving comfort food!
We've added cauliflower, kale, peas and green beans but feel free to add any veg you like! Roasted sweet potato or pumpkin would also be delicious.
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Cal/Serv:
588
Ingredients
225 g macaroni
200 g green beans, trimmed and halved
250 g cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 Tbsp. olive oil
50 g plain flour
600 ml semi-skimmed milk
125 g extra mature cheddar, finely grated
2 tsp. wholegrain mustard
100 g frozen peas
50 g kale, shredded
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to boil. Tip in pasta and cook for 5min, add green beans and continue cooking for 2min more, then tip in cauliflower, bring back to boil for a final 2min, until just cooked and still crunchy. Drain.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat 2½ tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2min, until beginning to smell toasty, then take off the heat. Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth between each addition. Return pan to the heat and cook for 10min, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Stir in 100g cheese and the mustard. Season.
Step 3
Add pasta, cooked vegetables and peas to the sauce, stir well. Spoon into 4 mini ovenproof baking dishes (or one large dish – see GH Tip). Toss the kale with remaining oil and cheese and scatter over the pasta. Cook in the oven for 15-20min, until bubbling and golden.
The mixture will also fit into a 1.7 litre ovenproof baking dish: cook for 20-25min, until piping hot through.
Per Serving:
Calories: 588
Fibre: 8 g
Total carbs: 64 g
Sugars: 12 g
Total fat: 24 g
Saturated fat: 10 g
Protein: 26 g
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The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
