Macaroni Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 1200g Queensland blue pumpkin
- 15g Fresh rosemary
- 5g Salt flakes
- 5g Freshly ground black pepper
- 400g Large Macaroni
- 250g Persian fetta
- 300g Cheddar cheese
Cheese sauce
- 160g Unsalted butter
- 160g Plain flour
- 2000ml Milk
- 1 tspn Nutmeg
- 300g Parmesan
- To taste Sea Salt and pepper
Line a roasting tray with baking paper, add the pumpkin, chopped rosemary, salt flakes and black pepper, drizzle with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil & 1/4 cup Verjuice. Roast at 200C for half hour until the pumpkin starts to colour and is tender.
## To make the cheese sauce
Melt the butter in a medium sized pot and take to nut brown then add the flour, mixing well to combine. Remove from the heat and pour the milk in slowly, using a whisk to avoid lumps. Place back on the heat and continue to stir until the sauce starts to thicken, cooking for a few more minutes. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, add the nutmeg and stir in the grated Parmesan, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted. Taste the sauce and add a little salt if necessary – be careful to only add salt after you’ve added the cheese as often the cheese is all the salt you’ll need. Directly cover the top of the sauce with cling film and set aside until needed.
Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente (15-20 minutes), drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cheese sauce to the macaroni and mix through well, then add the pumpkin and toss through gently, break up the Persian fetta and add this to the macaroni too. Pour the macaroni mixture into an oven proof dish, top with the grated cheddar and bake at 200C (given that every oven is different it could take between 10 and 20 minutes).
This recipe is a tradition in the Beer family and conjures up many wonderful memories! In celebration of sharing great food and making memories we have created the beautiful Shared Memories gift hamper.