Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake

I haven’t put any recipes on here for ages so I thought I would let you in on this yummy dish which I made with cobbled together ingredients we had left in our cupboard on Thursday. It serves 4 and takes about 40 minutes to make.

Ingredients
• 250g Penne or Fuseli Pasta
• Half a courgette – chopped
• 1 head of broccoli florettes
• About 7 mushrooms – chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 400ml milk
• 150g grated cheese
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• Handful of sunflower seeds
• Seasoning
1. Preheat the oven to 200°/180° (fan assisted).

2. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. While this is boiling gently fry the mushrooms, courgette and broccoli with the oil for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Take the vegetables off the heat. Put the butter, flour and milk into a saucepan on a medium heat, whisking all the time until the mixture begins to thicken (you’re making a white sauce here!). Then stir in the cheese until it is melted, leaving a little left for sprinkling. Season.
4. Stir the chopped tomatoes to the cheese sauce and whisk until relatively smooth and combined. Add the chopped, fried vegetables.
5. Pour the pasta into an oven proof dish and pour the sauce over it, making sure it is well mixed and covered. Add seasoning and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and sunflower seeds6. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the bake looks golden and bubbling! Serve with crusty homemade bread and salad.