Fans of savoury and sweet combos will find this rich and comforting pasta dinner irresistible.

An unexpected twist on classic creamy mac and cheese

Spring means the arrival of Easter favourite, hot cross buns in the shops (well, from January actually!). There are few dinners I make on consistent rotation but recently, this has become one dish I crave solidly.

Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese comes from my deep love of Cheddar cheese sandwiched between warm, toasted hot cross buns. It’s a classic sweet and savoury snack combination I couldn’t help but make a meal of.

The fact of the matter is that nothing bulks out a dish better than pasta. Enter Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese. Here, I fold short pasta like fusilli, macaroni, conchiglie (shells), penne or even rigatoni into rich and creamy mature Cheddar sauce.

The ultimate Mac and Cheese with breadcrumbs

Golden hot cross bun crumbs with crispy sage leaves top the dish off. I love the contrast of lightly-spiced crumbs and sweet raisins against the deeply savoury cheese. The whole affair is a celebration of textures and flavours.

A combination you’ll either love or hate

Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese reminds me a bit of fruity Wensleydale with cranberries and apricots at Christmas. Or cheese and mango chutney sandwiches. It feels 50 shades of wrong but when you eat it, it the flavours just work.

This being said, if sweet and savoury dishes aren’t your cup of tea, it’s best to skip the hot cross crumbs with this recipe. Ultimately, this mac and cheese recipe alone still makes for a delicious stove-top meal.

Make Hot Cross Crumb Cauliflower Cheese for a lower carb option

Although my passion for pasta runs deep, you might find it useful to know that you can easily swap cooked pasta for roasted cauliflower florets. A cheeky riff on cauliflower cheese, so to speak. This would make for a great lower carb option or side dish.

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Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese recipe

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Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese

The ultimate luxury macaroni cheese for hot cross bun lovers! Fold pasta into this impossibly creamy cheese sauce and top off with crispy hot cross bun crumbs. Fans of savoury and sweet combos will find this irresistible.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword cheese, dinner party, easter, hot cross buns, macaroni, pasta, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Blender or food processor
• Whisk

Ingredients

• 350 g fusilli or other short pasta of your choice
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 600 ml evaporated milk or whole (full-fat) milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp dried garlic or 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 225 g extra-mature Cheddar grated
• 1 tsp English mustard powder or Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

For the hot cross crumbs:

• 3 shop-bought hot cross buns
• 3 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 10-15 sage leaves or 1-2 sprigs rosemary

Instructions

To make the hot cross crumbs

• Break the hot cross buns up into rough chunks. Place them in to the jar of a blender or food processor. Pulse or blend until you have medium-coarse crumbs.
• Heat the olive oil or butter in a pan set over a medium-low heat. Add the sage leaves or sprigs of rosemary. Sauté for a minute or two until the leaves begin to crisp up. A low heat will help release the natural aromas from the herbs.
• Add the hot cross bun crumbs and continue to sauté over a medium-low heat until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir all the time to ensure the crumbs toast evenly and don't burn. You'll be able to hear when they're ready — a crispy clattering sound as you mix. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool.

For the mac and cheese

• Toss the grated cheese with cornflour, English mustard powder, garlic and nutmeg.
• Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the plain flour and cook, stirring all the time until it releases a slightly nutty aroma (don't let it brown), this should take about 2 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture. It won't immediately look thick. Return to the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, whisking all the time until slightly thickened. Once it comes to a very gentle simmer, switch the heat off again.
• Add the cheese mixture and whisk continuously until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens further and becomes smooth and glossy. Taste and season with salt if necessary. How much salt you add depends on how salty your cheese is and your personal taste.
• Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, according to the packet instructions or until al dente (it should still have a little bite to it).
• Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce. If it feels a bit too thick, add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency.
• Serve immediately topped with the crispy hot cross crumbs.

Video

Notes

• I like to use evaporated milk from a tin for my mac and cheese. It’s been heat-treated so is more stable and produces a smoother sauce without as much risk of curdling on contact with the cheese. I also love the flavour and creaminess of cheese sauce made with evaporated milk.
• Cornflour gives the mac and cheese a lovely glossy finish, as well as ensures the dish reheats better than if it were made with plain flour alone.
• Toss the cornflour with the cheese for even distribution into the sauce. It’s easier to add all the seasonings into the cheese mixture beforehand so you can just dump and go when making the sauce, too.
• If using fresh garlic, add it to the plain flour and butter mixture. Cook it out before adding the milk.
• If using Dijon mustard, whisk it in at the end, right before adding the pasta.
• This Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese reheats beautifully in the microwave. Keep the macaroni cheese and crumbs separate until you’re ready to serve so the crumbs remain crunchy.

 

Pin this recipe for later! Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Roasted Vegetable & Mascarpone Lasagne

Love Sanjana

The post Hot Cross Crumb Mac & Cheese appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Use any pasta shape you want and don’t forget to season generously with sea salt and chilli flakes. Tender veggies balance out the richness of the sauce and chopped parsley adds a much welcome fresh factor.

What makes Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta a good stand-by dish?

The reason why this pasta recipe is one I always keep in my dinner rotation is because you can customise it so easily. Don’t have broccoli? Just throw some cauliflower in. If it’s asparagus season, pop those in instead of runner beans. A handful of sweetcorn can replace peas easily (especially if you have tinned), too. As a result, you can use whatever veggies you have to hand and still create a sensational meal. I’ve made this many times with squash like courgette, butternut and pumpkin and it’s delicious every time.

Will the saffron overpower the dish?

Not if you add a small amount. In this Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta, just enough saffron is used to infuse the cream and provide a delicate, musky flavour. Once the saffron turns the cream a lovely shade of daffodil, you know you’re on the right track.

What if I don’t have saffron?

The flavour of saffron is what gives this dish most of its character. Definitely get a box of good-quality saffron for your store cupboard, even if you only ever use it for this dish. Truthfully, a little goes a very long way and one box will last you ages.

How can I tell if my saffron is legit?

Always go to a reputable dealer or spice stockist.

To test if your saffron is real, soak a few strands in hot water. If yellow/orange dye comes off, leaving a white coloured strand then the saffron is bogus. This is a trick used by spice cons who use artificially-dyed corn husk fibres to replace the delicate saffron strands. They won’t have a musky aroma and will be of no use. What a mistak-er to make-er. Bin them and don’t buy the same ones again. I’ve made this mistake before.

American and Mexican saffron is not the same as genuine saffron. It is made from safflower and has the same colour and appearance, but no taste or smell. Again, a pointless purchase.

Once you find a genuine box/packet of good saffron, remember the brand and stick to it. In my opinion, Spanish ‘La Mancha’ saffron is the most wonderful (unless you happen to live near a pond full of saffron crocuses and pick your own). Do you think they do saffron P.Y.O’s? Maybe at Lakshmi Mittal’s pad.

How to make the most of your saffron

To get the most out of your saffron, place it in a bowl and microwave it on high for 10-15 seconds to lightly toast it and dry it out (be VERY careful and keep a watchful eye on it). Gently rub it through your fingers when you add it to your dish and it will release heaps of flavour and colour. Magic.

Ingredients you’ll need for this Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta

• Any pasta shape you like (I used bucatini)
• Olive oil
• Red onion
• Mushrooms (I used a mix of oyster, shiitake and shimeji)
• Frozen peas
• Runner beans or French beans
• Broccoli florets
• Saffron
• Vegetable stock (fresh or made with a stock cube)
• Chilli flakes
• Flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt

What you need to do to

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Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta

Saffron and vegan cream are a match-made in heaven in this Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta. Who doesn’t love twirls of pasta with lots of fresh veggies? Yum!

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword broccoli, pasta, saffron, vegan, vegetables

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 300 g bucatini or any pasta shape of your choice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 150 g mixed mushrooms
• 50 g broccoli florets
• 50 g frozen peas
• 50 g runner beans
• 12-14 strands saffron 1 large pinch
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 300 ml dairy-free cream
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salty water according to packet instructions and drain.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion until translucent and then add the mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat, stirring often to slightly brown the mushrooms.
• Add the broccoli, runner beans, peas, saffron and veg stock. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour in the cream and simmer very gently for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in chilli flakes, sea salt and chopped parsley.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir well to coat. Heat through until bubbling and serve immediately.

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Psst, if you like this recipe, you’ll love this Squash & Mascarpone Pasta.

Love Sanjana

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You can use any kind of pasta shape for this dish. I recommend one with ridges to catch the creamy sauce in all the nooks and crannies. I used tripoline but fusilli, cavatappi and conchiglie would all work well. I love all kinds of pasta but have always thought there’s something quite magical about long shapes that you can twirl around your fork. Maybe I’m just a sucker for playing with my food.

The recipe itself uses just a handful of ingredients to showcase the beautiful roasted squash and kale. You can easily veganise the sauce by swapping the mascarpone for your favourite vegan cream cheese. Top with grated dairy-free Cheddar or mozzarella for a final flourish of the good stuff.

When it comes to pasta, I’m partial to a crispy, bubbly top. If you are too, you can sprinkle over some extra cheese and grill until leopard-spotted and gooey.

I ate this out of the pan as soon as I’d finished photographing it. No regrets.

Most people would say this recipe serves 6 but in my house, it serves 4. Who am I to tell you how much pasta to eat? Use my pasta measurements as a guideline for the pasta:sauce ratio and enjoy every last bit of this one-bowl wonder!

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Squash & Mascarpone Pasta with Crispy Kalettes

This creamy pasta makes for a satisfying one-bowl dinner. It’s the ultimate comfort food and has just a tingle of spice to keep you warm. The pasta is combined with a silky roasted butternut squash and mascarpone sauce before being topped with crispy kalettes (little kale sprouts) and fried sage.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Italian

Keyword butternut squash, cheesecake, kale, pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 250 g pasta of your choice I used tripoline
• 1 large butternut squash peeled and cubed (about 1kg)
• 2 large cloves garlic sliced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp
• 20 sage leaves
• 160 g kalettes
• 250 g mascarpone
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
• Grated cheese I like Cheddar, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F.
• First, fry the sage leaves in 2 tbsp olive oil until dark green and crispy. Remove from the oil and set aside on kitchen paper to cool and crisp up further. Keep the oil you used to cook them in — we’re going to toss the squash in this.
• Peel and cube the butternut squash. Toss with 1/2 tsp sea salt, fennel seeds and the olive oil used to cook the sage leaves. Place this in the oven to roast, about 30-35 minutes.
• Place the kalettes on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Coat the kalettes well and once the squash has been in the oven for 20 minutes, pop the kalettes in for the remainder of the cooking time. They should take about 10-12 minutes to crisp up.
• Remove the squash and kale from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, according to packet instructions.
• Blend together half of the squash, mascarpone and 60ml of the pasta cooking water. Be sure to include all that roasted garlic. Season with chilli flakes and 1 tsp salt.
• Drain the pasta and immediately toss the pasta with the sauce. Top with the crispy kalettes, remaining squash cubes and fried sage leaves. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated cheese, if desired. Serve piping hot.

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Tripoline pasta combined with a silky roasted butternut squash and mascarpone sauce before being topped with crispy kalettes (little kale sprouts) and fried sage. I can’t think of anything more perfect for a cosy night in.

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Introducing Khandvi

Another savoury Gujarati snack that’s known for having these explosive and delicious flavours is Khandvi. It’s a village-style rolled pasta made with chickpea flour and yoghurt (in this case, soy yoghurt) which is always served with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies crackled in hot oil. The sound and smell of the smoking oil hitting the smooth surface of the pasta rolls gives me all the feels.

The texture is soft, silky and it melts in your mouth, unlike the wheat pasta we’re all so used to. If you’re a pasta lover on the lookout for something a little bit more unusual, you’ve got to try these. Or maybe you remember your grandma making these for you when you were a kid…

I’ve always been fascinated by how food travels. All cultures have their own versions of pasta, bread, rice dishes, dumplings, pancakes and so much more. While Indian street food trends are currently all about Pasta Dosa and Maggi noodles, a brief look back into rich regional cuisines will reveal pasta-like treasures such as these Khandvi rolls, Daal Dhokli, Sev and Gathia. And boy, are they good.

I love Khandvi it because it requires very few ingredients to make and it’s also one of those rare Gujarati Naasto dishes (tea-time snacks) that isn’t fried. As much as I adore Bateta Vada (fried spicy potato balls), I know it’s not a treat I’ll scoff every day. These on the other hand, I’d go for Khandvi any time, any day.

Tips for making perfect khandvi

Here are some things to bear in mind when making Khandvi (grandma style) as well as some new school tips for getting your noodle sheets rolled thinly and evenly.

• Use a blender for a smooth, cohesive Khandvi batter. Lumps aren’t wanted here. Wait, are lumps ever wanted anywhere?
• Cook the Khandvi batter in a non-stick pan, low and slow. It thickens pretty quickly so you want to give yourself time to get those pesky lumps out.
• Use a silicone spatula or whisk to stir when cooking the Khandvi batter.
• Pay close attention to the consistency of the batter. It’s ready when the batter no longer falls off the spatula when lifted and begins to set on the sides of the pan. Think peanut butter consistency. To check if the batter is ready to spread, you can spread a little bit over a steel plate or piece of foil, allow it to set for a few minutes and then see if it rolls up easily. If not, cook it a little longer.
• This one is super important… You need to work quickly! Khandvi batter doesn’t wait around. Once it reaches the right consistency, it must be spread very quickly. It helps to have your foil sheets ready on the work surface before you even start cooking the batter.
• A lot of recipes call for the surface of the foil or thali you’re spreading the batter on to be greased. Do this VERY lightly otherwise the batter is going to slide around and clump up like no man’s business. This will make it impossible to spread.
• To spread the khandvi, I use a silicone spatula. Once it’s spread as evenly as I can get it (and still hot), I cover it with a piece of cling film and then use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as I can get it, about 1-2mm.
• If you have one, use a pizza cutter to slice your set Khandvi – it’s so much easier and neater than trying to use a knife.
• This recipe is for Vegan Khandvi and uses soy yoghurt but the traditional version just uses regular yoghurt.
• Serve the Khandvi at room temperature simply by themselves, with masala chai or your favourite chutney.

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Vegan Khandvi (Indian Chickpea Rolls)

Tightly rolled, bite-sized pieces of pasta made using chickpea flour and soy yoghurt. They hot, sweet, sour, salty and so delicious. Khandvi is a popular snack from Gujarat, western India. Serve with chai for a delicious breakfast or snack.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chickpea flour, farsan, gujarati

Prep Time 55 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Non-stick pan
• Spatula
• Aluminium foil
• Rolling pin
• Whisk

Ingredients

For the vegan khandvi rolls:

• 140 g chickpea flour
• 280 ml cold water
• 285 g soy yoghurt such as Alpro or regular yoghurt for a non-vegan version
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 20 g ginger grated
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida optional - omit for gluten-free Khandvi
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

For the tempering:

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 2-3 thin chillies pierced
• 2 tbsp fresh or desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp freshly-chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

To make the khandvi:

• Blend all the ingredients for the khandvi rolls together to make a smooth paste.
• Place two large sheets of aluminium foil on a heat-resistant surface (about 1M long sheets) and grease them with oil VERY lightly.
• Pour the batter mixture into a non-stick pan and cook it over a low flame for 8-10 minutes, until it's the consistency of thick, smooth peanut butter. Keep stirring constantly to stop it from settling at the bottom and creating unwanted lumps. I find the best tool for this is either a silicone whisk or silicone spatula.
• Working very quickly, spread half the batter on top of the first sheet of foil. Spread it thinly and evenly using a silicone spatula. Place a piece of cling film on top. Repeat for the second half of the batter on top of the second piece of foil. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough evenly between the cling film and foil. It should be 1-2mm thick. Allow it to set for 5 minutes.
• Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife, trim away any scrappy, uneven edges (those are for you to enjoy). Slice the Khandvi into long strips, all about the same width. Use your fingers to roll them up tightly. Repeat for all the Khandvi sheets and arrange on to a platter or plate.

For the tempering:

• Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies and cook until the mustard seeds have finished popping. Pour this over the rolled Khandvi. Garnish with chopped coriander and coconut.

Notes

* Serve the Khandvi at room temperature.
* Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.

The post Vegan Khandvi (Indian Chickpea Pasta Rolls) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Never will I be a girl who orders a salad in a restaurant. I may be vegetarian but my appetite longs for more than a few pesky leaves. I’m usually the one who eats around the salad that comes with a meal, pushing it to the edge of the plate after it’s been wilted to mulch from the heat of the real food. Often, I need nothing more than carbs in a creamy sauce. Fast.

The simplicity of this pasta is exactly what makes it so special – take just seven ingredients and fifteen minutes and you’ll have an indulgent dinner with a touch of class. Your date, friends or family will believe you really pushed the boat out for them. For best results, don’t admit the truth.

Without a doubt, the star of the recipe is the saffron; simmered in double cream until the cream becomes a pale yellow with a delicate flavour. You’ll only need a tiny pinch for a heap of deep muskiness. It’s important not to go overboard with the saffron; it’s there to lightly infuse the cream – not to make it bitter and turmeric-yellow.

Crisp courgettes give the dish just enough bite to break up the silkiness of the pasta and sauce. For an extra kick, you can add a sprinkle of chilli flakes but I really love the simplicity of the dish without.

I use Gigli pasta for this dish – the flower-like shape envelopes the sauce and the pasta becomes stained with the sunset-yellow colour, making it even more like a plate of ruffled daffodils, speckled with strands of saffron. Having said this, I’ve also tried it with fettucine, tagliatelle and linguine – all are fine.

15 Minute Saffron and Courgette Pasta
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

150g dried Gigli pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
1 large courgette, halved and quartered lengthways, then chopped into 1cm pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, peeled
300ml double (heavy) cream
½ tsp salt
Small pinch saffron

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the whole garlic clove and courgettes. You want the garlic to flavour the sauce ever so slightly. Sauté for a minute.

2. Add the cream, and saffron and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to reduce for five minutes. Remove the garlic.

3. Add the cooked pasta and combine until coated. Serve piping hot.

Love Sanjana

The post 15 Minute Saffron and Courgette Pasta appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Guess what I did this weekend? I made my first wedding cake! 300 cupcakes consisting of both Red Velvet and Lemon. Finished with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and the cutest handmade Indian elephants and peacock feathers. The display was crowned with a vanilla buttercream cake and a giant peacock feather. Thankfully, there were no real disasters and I think everyone enjoyed the bite-sized cakes. Plus, I don’t have the skill to pull off a traditional tiered wedding cake… yet!

I’ll be posting up images from the event tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled for a whole load of cupcakes and lots of diabetic, drooling Modhas.

Some of you will know that it’s Italy Month at Food Network UK and all throughout July they’re featuring delicious pasta recipes. This week, my Spicy Spinach Lasagne made the featured spot in the newsletter. And just between me and you, KO Rasoi reader – Lasagne Indian-style is so much better! I layered up a very basic spicy spinach puree in the same way I would make Saag (my favourite – pass the Makki Ki Roti please!) and made a basic white sauce.

Layering up the dish with green spinach lasagne give this a double-spinach hit. Plus, whenever I make lasagne, it has to be spinach pasta… I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can find the recipe here: Spicy Spinach Lasagne recipe.

Next time I try this, I’d be inclined to add freshly blended mustard leaves for a deeper, more intense flavour and heat. What do you think?

 

I’ll be back tomorrow to share the wedding cake images! In the meantime, you can find more vegetarian summer recipes here.

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