Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 12 oz. elbow macaroni or other small, short-cut pasta ((350g))
  • 2 cups milk ((475 ml))
  • 3 tablespoons butter ((55g, plus extra for greasing the baking dish))
  • 3 tablespoons flour ((23g))
  • 1 3/4 cups shredded cheese ((about 150g, whatever you like))
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • a handful of ground almonds

Instruction

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it’s just underdone (not quite al dente). Drain and run the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it just comes to a simmer, turn off the heat, and set aside. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the flour is cooked and the resulting roux is a light brown color. Whisk in the heated milk and stir constantly for about 3 minutes, until thick and smooth.
  • Stir in the cheese and the mustard until it’s all melted together and well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the pasta into the pot and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the ground almonds. Bake for about 25 minutes, until bubbly.