Spring Onion and Black Pepper Mac n Cheese
A new take on the comfort food classic that really amps up the flavour.
Kelly GibneyChef
- cook
- Easy
Caption:Spring onion and black pepper mac 'n' cheese.Photo credit:Kelly Gibney
There are five spring onions in this recipe and some lemon zest too, which bring brightness and a tasty balance to the rich cheese sauce.
Black pepper, along with the parmesan in the sauce ensure the dish is super savoury and has a little kick.
Ingredients
- 75g butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup plain flour
- 3 cups (750ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups grated edam / colby / cheddar
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan
- 4 spring onions, dark green part thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely milled black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 250g dried macaroni pasta
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced for topping
- Salt to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic powder and flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste in the sauce.
- Add the milk 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously to ensure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, before reducing to a rapid simmer and cooking for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Add the cheeses, spring onion, black pepper and lemon zest. Stir until combined. Taste and add salt as desired.
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet’s instructions. It will continue to cook in the sauce as it bakes.
- Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Transfer pasta and sauce to a baking dish.
- Combine the breadcrumbs with the oil, sliced spring onion and a generous pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Spoon over the top of the pasta and sauce.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned.
