Salmon and pea pasta bake

Telegraph

5 hours ago

The sauce here is quite thick, but you can add an extra 100ml milk if you prefer it looser. This pasta bake can be prepared ahead of time – just pop it in the fridge and then cook it for 10-15 minutes longer than given in the recipe below. Other vegetables such as sweetcorn, broccoli and chopped green beans also work well here, as do some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
400g dried pasta (penne or rigatoni works well)
4 skinless salmon fillets
500ml whole milk
50g butter
50g plain flour
150g mascarpone
250g frozen peas
75g mature cheddar, grated
75g panko breadcrumbs
Handful of parsley, finely chopped
Method
Step
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook 400g dried pasta according to the packet instructions.
Step
With 4 minutes of the cooking time left, add 4 skinless salmon fillets to the pan, laying them on top of the pasta.
Step
After the 4 minutes, carefully remove the salmon fillets and set them on a plate. Drain the pasta and set aside. (You can pop the pasta back in the pan, if you like – this is a good place to mix everything for the pasta bake. And if it's an ovenproof pan, you can even use it to cook the pasta bake in.)
Step
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Pour 500ml whole milk into a heatproof jug and heat in the microwave in 30-second blasts until steaming, making sure it doesn't boil over. (This step is optional, however, I find it speeds up the sauce-making process.)
Step
Melt 50g butter in a small pan over a low heat.
Step
Gradually pour in the milk a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until all the milk is fully incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
Step
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 150g mascarpone with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until combined.
Step
Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish or ovenproof pan, and then level the top of the pasta.
Step
Combine 75g grated mature cheddar, 75g panko breadcrumbs and a handful of finely chopped parsley, and then scatter over the top of the pasta.
Step
Bake in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling and the crumb topping is golden.