Pasta Bake

Pasta Bake - from another night,  different veg.

This is perhaps the fourth time I've made this and I've changed the vegies each time.  Sometimes, I can include some moderate salicylate vegies, instead of just low salicylate, if Ms C hasn't had any other moderate sals that day (or even a day either side).  It's all about planning.  Like when she used to have Free Fruit Friday at school.  She'd be able to have whatever she liked from the platter because I'd make sure that the day either side and of course that day, her sals dose was kept low.  It was usually only 2 or 3 sections of cut fruit anyway.  Not even a whole piece of fruit.

I've adapted the white sauce (bechemal) recipe from the  TMX EDC recipe book,  pg 58.

So, this is what I make when it's 5:30 and I haven't even decided what we're having for dinner and take away is not an option.  Don't tell Mr frillypants, but we're having Fish'n'Chips when he's in Melbourne tomorrow.  (No,  Fish'n'Chips are not a part of the RPAH Elimination Diet.)

Ingredients:

• About 400g pasta
• 500g milk
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 100g ricotta cheese (watch out for preservatives!!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• about 2 inches of a leek, finely diced
• 4 brussel sprouts, quartered and finely shredded
• 2 sticks celery, halved and finely sliced
• 1 small zucchini*, thickly peeled and finely grated
• about 1 tab Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 can borlotti beans (or other type of bean), drained and rinsed

Method:

• Boil water in medium saucepan and add pasta to boil
• Pre-heat oven 180ºC
• In Thermomix, put Milk, Flour, Butter, Ricotta Cheese and Salt and cook on 90ºC for 7 minutes on Speed 4.
• Add chopped vegies and cook for a further 10 minutes, 90ºC Reverse Speed 1
• (If you'd prefer,  just saute the vegies in a small frypan instead OR in a microwave and then stir through the cheese sauce)
• Add the Borlotti Beans to TMX in the last minute of cooking
• Drain pasta and put into casserole or baking dish
• Pour over with cheese sauce and bean mixture and stir with a serving spoon to combine
• Put into oven for about 15-30 minutes,  until a little bit browned on top
• Serve by itself or with some steamed green beans.

Verdict:  Nom, Nom, Nom, Nom...  Add more salt to trick the senses into thinking you're having a tasty cheese... especially if you're in the early days and your taste buds are used to hyper-flavour.  We don't need to do this anymore.   

Tweeks:  Other vegies to use:  Carrot*,  Pak Choy*, Butternut Pumpkin*, Green Beans, Cabbage...  just open your fridge and see what takes your fancy. I just try to make my vegies virtually indiscernible.

* Moderate Salicylates