Spiced roasted veg mac and cheese recipe
We've taken the well-loved dish mac 'n' cheese and packed in root veg and spices to create a delicious twist that's budget- and freezer-friendly. There's even leftover cheesy sauce to make our Cheat's creamy chicken and spinach curry.
See method- Serves 4
- Takes 1 hr
- 575 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, gently crushed
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, gently crushed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, gently crushed
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp crushed chillies
- 1 extra-large cauliflower, cut into small florets, leaves reserved and halved down the stalk
- 260g macaroni
- 90ml olive spread
- 90g plain flour
- 450ml milk
- 1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 450ml
- 200g 50% reduced-fat mature cheese, grated
- 20g grated pecorino
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2435kJ 575.0kcal
- Fat
- 17g
- Saturates
- 6g
- Salt
- 1.3g
- Sugars
- 15g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 74.5gProtein 26.4gFibre 6.1g
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Put the squash in a large, shallow oven tray with half the oil and half of all the spices. Mix well to coat the squash. Roast for 35 mins.
- Meanwhile, put the cauliflower florets and leaves in a separate large, shallow baking tray and toss with the remaining oil and spices. Roast for the last 20 mins of the squash cooking time.
- Cook the macaroni to pack instructions; drain.
- Meanwhile, melt the olive spread in a large pan and stir in the flour. Cook over a medium heat for 2 mins, remove from the heat, then gradually stir in the milk and stock. Return to the heat and simmer for 2 mins, stirring continually, or until thickened. Remove from the heat, then stir in the mature cheese to melt; season to taste. Add 250g of the roasted cauliflower and leaf mix and 250g of the roasted squash and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in most of the remaining roasted veg, reserving a little for the top.
- Stir half the sauce (reserve the rest for Cheat’s creamy chicken and spinach curry linked above) and the macaroni together, then spoon into a 2ltr baking dish. Scatter over the reserved veg, then the pecorino. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden.
- Cook once, eat twice tip: Use leftovers from this recipe for our Cheat's creamy chicken and spinach curry.
- See more Pasta recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
