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- 50 g (2oz) butter, plus a little extra for the spinach
- 25 g (1oz) flour
- 1 Tbsp. English mustard powder
- 450 ml (3⁄4 pint) full-fat milk
- 125g (4oz) Cheddar cheese
- 142 ml carton double cream
- 125 g (4oz) cooked sliced ham
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 350 g (12oz) penne pasta
- 150 g (5oz) baby spinach
- 25 g (1oz) Parmesan cheese
- Step 1
Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat.
- Step 2
Add the mustard powder and milk and stir until smooth. Whisk the sauce as it comes to the boil, then simmer gently for 10min. Remove from heat, then beat in the grated cheese gradually until it melts, add the cream and roughly chopped ham, then season with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions; drain thoroughly. Meanwhile, melt a knob of butter in a large pan, add the spinach and cook for 3min until wilted.
- Step 4
Mix together the sauce, penne and spinach and pour into a shallow ovenproof dish. Grate the Parmesan cheese over the top and cook at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 20–30min or until golden.
Try more of our favourite pasta bake recipes:
Tuna melt pasta bake
Greek pasta bake
Salmon pasta bake
Chicken, bacon and leek pasta bake
Easy pasta bake
Prepare ahead
Complete the recipe but don't cook it. Cool, wrap and chill for up to one day. To serve: Cook at at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 35-40min or until golden.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 850
- Total carbs: 76 g
- Total fat: 48 g
- Saturated fat: 29 g
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
