Macaroni cheese
If you don't have any cheddar, use up any odds and ends of cheese you have in the fridge, even blue cheese.
400g dried macaroni
25g butter, plus 1 tbsp extra
25g flour
500ml milk
Salt and black pepper
200g Montgomery cheddar, grated
2 leeks, washed, halved and sliced
100g pancetta, chopped
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
100g parmesan, grated
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, stir and cook until al dente. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Meanwhile, melt 25g butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth, white sauce. Season, and whisk in the cheddar. Melt the tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan, and fry the leeks and pancetta until the leeks are soft and the pancetta is cooked. Drain the pasta, tip it back into the pot, then mix in the sauce, leeks, pancetta and parsley. Pour into an ovenproof dish and top with parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and starting to colour.
• This recipe is extracted from A Taste Of Home: 200 Quick And Easy Recipes, by Angela Hartnett, is published by Ebury at £25. To order a copy for £20, go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
