A killer mac 'n' cheese

This cheesy pasta bake is a proper weekend treat. Jamie Oliver’s mac & cheese recipe is packed with oozy Cheddar and Parmesan, fresh tomatoes, and crunchy breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

• 10 cloves of garlic
• 45g butter
• 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 6 fresh bay leaves
• 1 litre semi-skimmed milk
• 600g dried macaroni
• 8 tomatoes
• 150g Cheddar cheese
• 100g Parmesan cheese
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• optional: a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce
• optional: 1 whole nutmeg, for grating
• 3 big handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs
• olive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel and finely slice the garlic.

2. 2

   Get a large pan of salted water on the boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring all the time, until you get a paste – this is your roux.

3. 3

   Add all the sliced garlic – don’t worry about the amount because each slice will caramelise like toffee in the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky.

4. 4

   Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to the boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

6. 6

   Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes on a board and season them well with sea salt and black pepper. Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan.

7. 7

   Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheeses, chopped tomatoes and pick in half of the thyme leaves. A little Worcestershire sauce added now is nice, and so is a little grating or two of nutmeg. Now work on the flavour – taste it and season it until it’s hitting the right spot. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed.

8. 8

   If you’ve made your sauce in an ovenproof casserole-type pan, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish. Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden, bubbling, crispy and delicious.

9. 9

   While it’s cooking, put your breadcrumbs and the rest of the the thyme leaves into a pan with a few drizzles of olive oil over a medium heat. Stir and toss the crumbs around until crunchy and golden all over. Remove from the heat and tip into a nice bowl.

10. 10

    Serve your macaroni cheese in the centre of the table, with your bowl of crispy breadcrumbs for sprinkling over, and a lovely green salad.