Knock the socks off the Mom in your household, if you haven't already for Mother's day, with this treat.
2 small or 1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
5 oz fresh green mix - spinach, baby kale and arugula
12 oz fine egg noodles
4 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cheese Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp dried Coleman’s English mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flavorful, aged cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups diced cheese - mix of pepper Jack and mozzarella
2 cans good solid white tuna in water, drained and slightly crumbled
About 3/4 lb fresh ricotta
Crumb topping:
1/4cup Panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400F.
Sauté the leeks in a dash of olive oil and a tablespoon water. Cook about 3-5 minutes, until all the water evaporates. Add the greens and wilt them down until they release all the water they will. Set aside off the heat.
Meanwhile get 3 quarts water to a boil in a pot and salt well for the noodles. When boiling, tip in the broccoli and cauliflower and cook 1 minute. Using a large slotted spoon, remove the veggies from the water and set aside in a bowl. Bring the water back to a boil, add the noodles and stir. Cook until just al dente, then drain and add a dash of oil. Stir well and keep covered and warm.
Make the white sauce while the noodles cook. Fry the flour in the butter and oil over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and cream and turn the heat up a bit more. Whisk in the nutmeg, mustard and salt. Keep a keen eye on the sauce, whisking very often as it thickens. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat down a bit and stir in the cheddar and parmesan. Whisk well as the cheeses melt into the sauce.
Now tip the noodles, leek mixture, broccoli and cauliflower into a very large mixing bowl. Add the sauce and mix well with a rubber spatula. Gently fold in the diced cheeses and the tuna. Adjust the mixture by adding a dash more milk if necessary to have a nice saucy (not gummy) mixture - you want it nice and moist.
Tip half the noodle mixture into a large casserole. Dot the noodles with spoonfuls of the ricotta.
Top this with the remaining noodle mixture. Stir together the crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl. Top the casserole evenly with the crumb mixture.
Bake casserole for 30 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
Serves 4-6.
2 small or 1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced5 oz fresh green mix - spinach, baby kale and arugula
12 oz fine egg noodles
4 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cheese Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp dried Coleman’s English mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flavorful, aged cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups diced cheese - mix of pepper Jack and mozzarella
2 cans good solid white tuna in water, drained and slightly crumbled
About 3/4 lb fresh ricotta
Crumb topping:
1/4cup Panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400F.
Sauté the leeks in a dash of olive oil and a tablespoon water. Cook about 3-5 minutes, until all the water evaporates. Add the greens and wilt them down until they release all the water they will. Set aside off the heat.
Make the white sauce while the noodles cook. Fry the flour in the butter and oil over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and cream and turn the heat up a bit more. Whisk in the nutmeg, mustard and salt. Keep a keen eye on the sauce, whisking very often as it thickens. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat down a bit and stir in the cheddar and parmesan. Whisk well as the cheeses melt into the sauce.
Tip half the noodle mixture into a large casserole. Dot the noodles with spoonfuls of the ricotta.
Bake casserole for 30 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
No comments:
Post a Comment