Irish-born Katie Quinn Davies has done really well with her blog www.whatkatieate.com and award-winning book “What Katie Ate”. She’s also my partner in crime from school. All of her stuff is drool-worthy but I asked her what her most popular easy dinner recipe is. She said this gets the best feedback by a mile. It is gorgeous.
Ingredients (serves 6):
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1 punnet (250g) Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
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Olive Oil, for cooking
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Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
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500g Macaroni
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250g Salami, cut into bite-sized pieces
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60g Butter
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50g Plain Flour
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1 litre Milk
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Large Handful Grated Parmesan, Plus Extra For Topping
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Large Handful Grated Pecorino, Plus Extra For Topping
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Large Pinch Freshly Grated Nutmeg
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1/2-1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (To Taste)
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3 Tablespoons Cream
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1 Teaspoon White Truffle Oil (Optional!)
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80 ml White Wine
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Handful Basil Leaves, Torn
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Crusty Bread Rolls and a Green Salad, To Serve
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 180c.
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Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the oven tempurature to 200c.
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Half-fill a large saucepan with salted water, add a glug of olive oil and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 minutes until just al dente (the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you don”t want to overcook it at this stage). Drain and rinse under cold water, then transfer to a large heavy-bottomed casserole dish (or four small ovenproof dishes). Add another glug of olive oil and stir to coat the macaroni evenly, then add the salami and roast tomatoes. Stir again and season with a little salt and lots of pepper, then set aside.
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Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, then cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat a little then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened and is smooth and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the parmesan, pecorino, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, cream and truffle oil, and season with a little more pepper. Mix together well, then pour over the macaroni mixture in the casserole dish, along with the white wine, and toss to coat well. Stir through the basil leaves, then scatter a generous amount of extra parmesan and pecorino over the top.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling, golden brown and crispy (if you like, place the dish under a hot grill for a minute or two to get an even crispier topping).
Serve piping hot with extra grated parmesan, crusty rolls and a green salad on the side.
Visit www.whatkatieate.com for more of Katie Quinn-Davies” amazing recipes.