Cheese & spinach penne with walnut crumble

Cheese & spinach penne with walnut crumble

A twist on macaroni cheese, with added veg and a crunchy topping of bread and nuts - make in batches and freeze

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 55 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

FREEZE unbaked

Method

  1. If you are eating one of the pasta bakes now, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Boil the pasta with the leeks for 10 mins, then drain.
  2. Meanwhile, put the butter, flour, mustard, nutmeg and milk in a large pan with some seasoning. Gently heat, stirring all the time, until bubbling and thickened, then cook for 2 mins more, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in two-thirds of the cheese. Toss the remaining cheese with the bread and walnuts.
  3. Cook the spinach in the microwave, or pour a kettle of boiling water over it to wilt, then squeeze out the excess water. Stir into the sauce with the pasta, leeks and some seasoning. If necessary, add a little extra milk to loosen. Divide between 2 ovenproof dishes and scatter the bread mixture on top. If eating straight away, bake for 40 mins until golden, or cool to freeze.
Try

EAT ONE, FREEZE ONE

To freeze, cover the dishes with cling film, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then bake as above until golden and piping hot.

PER SERVING

656 kcalories, protein 28g, carbohydrate 54g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 3g, sugar 9g, salt 1.6 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Josie

    20 October 2012

    Josie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really pleased with this recipe, much tastier than I thought it might be. Liked the addition of walnut pieces to the crumble, gave it an interesting texture too. Saved a portion for my mother-in-law, who also loved it.

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  • Binder photo jen

    22 October 2012

    jen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely recipe which all the family enjoyed. I added ham to it to keep the meat-lovers happy.

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  • Binder photo Tyleri

    22 October 2012

    Tyleri commented on this recipe

    Used 1/2 mature and 1/2 swiss cheese, because we love the texture of melted swiss cheese. Plus used finely chopped crispy bacon instead of walnuts. Delish :)

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  • Binder photo psalm139ismine

    28 October 2012

    psalm139ismine rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent!

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  • Binder photo Frantic Flapjack

    28 October 2012

    Frantic Flapjack rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was lovely. I think the addition of leeks added to the flavour and the walnuts gave great texture to the topping. One for the binder!

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  • Binder photo Sarah

    10 November 2012

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delish!!

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  • Binder photo Kate

    30 December 2012

    Kate rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I adapted the quantities slightly as I was just cooking for one. Next time I will leave the bread out but add a few more nuts. I may also replace some of the cheddar with a little blue cheese (perhaps Stilton) and add slightly more mustard to give the sauce more flavour. I used wholewheat pasta and it worked well.

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  • Binder photo Rachel

    11 February 2013

    Rachel rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    My family didn't enjoy this recipe. It was too bland and felt like there was something missing. I thought it was okay but won't make it again. I think adding blue cheese would have improved it.

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  • Binder photo The_Handles

    15 March 2013

    The_Handles rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    It lies! Takes at least 30 minutes longer to prepare than the recipe suggests. Try adding some feta in the final cheese mix and laying strips of pancetta and roasted peppers on the top, before baking :-)

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  • Binder photo Akkie

    18 March 2013

    Akkie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Love this! It's a great dish to freeze so I have something to eat when I don't have time to cook. I really believe this was one of the reasons we ate less fast food over the last 6 months. :)

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  • Binder photo bailig

    12 June 2013

    bailig rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    It does take longer than the recipe says, but it's worth the time - very tasty. Don't leave out the walnuts, they're the best bit!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 55 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

FREEZE unbaked

Ingredients

  • 500g pack penne
  • 2 large leeks , sliced
  • 85g butter
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 tsp ready-made English mustard
  • good grating nutmeg
  • 1l milk , plus a bit extra
  • 350g pack mature cheddar , grated
  • 4 slices French bread , diced
  • 85g walnut pieces
  • 400g bag spinach
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PER SERVING

656 kcalories, protein 28g, carbohydrate 54g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 3g, sugar 9g, salt 1.6 g

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