Triple-Cheese Orecchiette

I make this at the Christmas markets that I host in the Studio every year to keep everyone cosy as they do their shopping. Who doesn’t love the sight of a tray of bubbling cheesy pasta coming out of the oven?

It’s a seriously hearty supper, so it works brilliantly with greens dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette to balance out the richness of the cheese.

Serves 4

Takes 1 hour

-

400g dried orecchiette or macaroni

1 tsp plus ½ tsp sea salt flakes

3 fat garlic cloves, peeled

35g salted butter

3½ tbsp plain flour

150ml white wine

300ml whole milk

35g Comté cheese

25g Parmesan cheese, plus 5g for the top

50g Cheddar cheese

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp miso paste

First, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas 6).

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water with 1 tsp salt on a high heat for 8–9 minutes, or until cooked through, then drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, use a microplane to finely grate the garlic into a frying pan. Add the butter then fry the garlic on a high heat for 2 minutes, or until golden but not burning.

Stir in the flour and cook out for a further 2 minutes on high, stirring regularly. Pour in the wine, a few splashes at a time, stirring regularly until you get a thick paste.

Reduce the heat to medium then add in the milk, 50ml at a time. Keep stirring until you’ve got a lump-free, creamy sauce. Remove from the heat.

Grate all the cheeses on the large side of a box grater, then stir into the sauce until melted along with the mustard and miso paste. Stir in the pasta, transfer to a baking dish (mine is 24 × 17cm), finely grate the remaining Parmesan over the top then bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.