Broccoli & Butternut Pasta Bake

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Comfort food at it's best! This was another one of those clearing-out the fridge affairs, coupled with my guilt at not often eating broccoli often enough, even though I know I should. It's not that I hate it, it's just that there are so many other less.... boring vegetables around. Like aubergine and sugar-snap peas and cherry tomatoes and... 


Well, before I get carried away, and without further ado, the recipe:

Broccoli & Butternut Pasta Bake

Serves 6

1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1 small head of broccoli (you can go half-half with cauliflower), broken into bite-size florets
1/2 butternut, cut into cubes
a handful of black olives, quartered
250g short pasta shapes, cooked until al dente
3 tbsps cakeflour
2 tbsps butter
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Saute onion in a bit of oil for a few minutes, until just soft. Add broccoli, saute until JUST soft (remember it's still going to be baked in the oven).
2. Cook the butternut pieces as well (you can either steam it, or just pop it in the microwave)
3. Mix the pasta, broccoli, butternut, onions & olives together in a large ovenproof dish and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Now make the cheese sauce - melt the butter in the microwave (or on the stove, the sauce will just take a bit longer to make), stir in the flour and gradually add the milk, stirring so no lumps form. Return to the microwave in 2 minute increments, reducing to 1 minute increments as the mixture thickens. Stir before returning to the microwave each time. When the sauce is nice and thick (after about 5 or so bouts in the microwave), add a half a cup of the cheese as well as some salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind the cheese is already salty).
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture in the oven dish, mix lightly to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top, place in 180C oven for 30 minutes until golden. Freezes very well.