Tortellini mac ’n’ cheese with sprout slaw
- Prepare
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
This rich baked tortellini mac ’n’ cheese combines spinach and ricotta pasta with a mustardy three-cheese sauce, crisp bacon and a fresh sprout slaw. Using shop-bought tortellini makes it simpler, or make your own if you have more time.
Ingredients
For the ricotta tortellini
For the mac ’n’ cheese
- 250g/9oz spinach and ricotta tortellini, shop-bought or homemade
- 600ml/20fl oz milk
- 75g/2¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked
- 100g/3½oz cheddar
- 100g/3½oz Comté
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan
- 2 streaky bacon rashers, grilled until crisp
- 1 handful basil
For the sprout slaw
- 500g/1lb 2oz Brussels sprouts, finely sliced
- 75g/2¾oz pine nuts, toasted
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan
- 10g/⅓oz basil leaves
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the tortellini, put the flour and eggs in a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together as a dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Mix the spinach, ricotta and Parmesan in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the rested dough into three pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine until the pasta is about 1mm thick.
Put teaspoonfuls of the spinach filling in a line along each pasta sheet, leaving a 5cm/2in gap between each one.
Use a 7cm/2¾in cutter or small glass to cut around each mound of filling. Fold each piece into a half-moon and seal the edges. Shape into tortellini.
To make the mac ’n’ cheese, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease an ovenproof baking dish with a little butter.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat with the thyme leaves. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the mustard, nutmeg and three-quarters of the cheddar, Comté and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook shop-bought tortellini in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. If using fresh tortellini, cook for 2–3 minutes. Drain.
Stir the tortellini through the cheese sauce. Crumble in the crisp bacon and stir to combine.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish and scatter over the remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbling around the edges.
Leave to cool slightly, then scatter over the basil.
To make the sprout slaw, put the vinegar, mustard, garlic and oil in a clean screw-top jar. Close the lid tightly and shake until combined.
Finely slice the Brussels sprouts using a food processor fitted with a slicing attachment.
Put the sprouts in a large bowl with the basil, half the pine nuts and half the Parmesan.
Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter over the remaining pine nuts and Parmesan.
