Here is another variant of the béchamel sauce. This time a sauce mornay,
cheese sauce to you, dear. This is one of the quickest and easiest
bakes to make but is packed with taste, especially if you use really
fresh organic spinach from your own garden. It is even better if
you treat yourself to some fresh pasta. If you have no garden and
no fresh pasta do not despair, dry pasta is fine and you can even
get away with frozen spinach at a pinch.
Ingredients - Serves 4
8oz (225g) pasta shells
8oz (225g) fresh spinach
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
1 pint béchamel sauce, see separate page
4oz (100g) grated cheese
Method
- Half
fill a large pan with cold water, add a good shake of salt and
bring to the boil. Add the pasta, stirring once to make sure the
pasta is separated. Bring back to the boil and turn down the heat
slightly so the water boils fairly vigorously. Partially cover
and leave to cook for about 10 minutes until just cooked or 'al
dente'. As soon as it is cooked, drain in a colander and then
put it back into the hot pan to keep warm. If you are using fresh
pasta it will only take 3 minutes to cook.
- Peel
and slice the onion, peel and crush or finely chop the garlic
and fry in a little olive oil until soft. Keep to one side.
- Wash
and shred the spinach.
- Make
the béchamel sauce and whilst it is hot add 3oz (75g) of
the grated cheese, mixing it in to the sauce.
- Mix
the cooked pasta with the spinach, onion and garlic in an oven
proof dish and pour over the sauce. Stir it all together then
top with the remaining 1 oz (25g) of grated cheese and cook at
190°C 375°F Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
- Delicious
on its own for a substantial lunch or with a tomato and basil
salad, good olive oil and a glass of your favourite Italian red
wine.
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