SERVES 4-6, 20 MINS PREPARATION, 15 MINS COOKING
More often used for posh cheese on toast, Welsh Rarebit is extremely versatile and is just as delicious in a tomato pasta bake, for a quick and easy St David’s Day Dinner.
INGREDIENTS:
For the Cheese Rarebit:
- 25g Butter
- 200g Caerphilly or Welsh Cheese (or any mild alternative)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce or Mustard
- 100ml Milk
- 1-2 tablespoons of Flour, if needed
- Salt and Pepper, seasoning to taste
For the Pasta Bake:
- 500g dried Napolina penne pasta
- Splash of oil or 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 large onion
- I large jar Ragu Tomato pasta sauce
- Sprinkling of dried basil, to taste
- Salt and Pepper seasoning, to taste
- 150g Cherry Tomatoes, halved
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 200oC/400F/Gas mark 6
- Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Pour in the dried pasta. Add a splash of oil or place in the butter and leave to simmer.
- For the Cheese Rarebit, grate or crumble ¾ of the cheese into a saucepan, and add the butter, seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce or mustard.
- Heat gently until the cheese melts, stirring slowly. Gradually add the milk to soften the mixture, but avoid making it too runny.
- Stir and simmer on a gentle heat until the mixture is thick and smooth and drips but not pours off the spoon (if it is a little runny just add a bit more cheese or a few tablespoons of flour to thicken the Rarebit mixture).
- Leave to cool but not harden.
- Chop and half the tomatoes and fry the onion.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and add the sprinkle of dried basil, tomatoes and onion.
- Stir in the Ragu tomato sauce until all the pasta is covered and transfer the tomato pasta to a large glass baking dish.
- Pour the Rarebit cheese mixture over the pasta, spreading it to the edge to prevent the pasta edges from burning. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
- Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until the Rarebit turns golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy immediately with some garlic bread, salad, or side of your choice.