Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce

Broccoli-cheese combinations feel very retro to me for some reason. I can imagine, after my shrimp/prawn cocktail starter, eating broccoli-cheese soup out of an avocado-coloured bowl (which, incidentally, would match my refrigerator). I'd then turn on my lava lamp and listen to some later Bob Dylan (the horrid stuff that's full of synthesizers). Yes, that's what I'd do...

But in the "real" world (ie. March 2009 in east London), I'd whip up a broccoli pasta with wholemeal fusilli pasta and add a slightly cheese sauce. I'd be pleased because it's oh-so-easy to do in my lovely built-in kitchen with fake-birch cupboard doors. We'd eat the pasta in our crisp-white-because-it-matches-everything bowls, while watching the latest drivel on our widescreen tv. I would do my best to subvert the carb-guilt hammered at us by Atkins and South Beach by reminding myself that this will fuel me on my Friday afternoon run. Yes, that's what I'd do.

Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce
(serves 2 - 1 normal, 1 large portion)

300 g wholemeal fusilli pasta
250 g raw broccoli, chopped
1.5 tbsp of olive oil or olive spread
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
45 g plain flour
150 ml skimmed milk
120 g cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp of dried red chilli flakes
A few sprays of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the fusilli. It will take about 8-10 minutes to boil. Put the broccoli in with the pasta with about 3 minutes left to boil.

Start the sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat in the olive oil/spread. Once they have gone translucent, add in the flour slowly and stir until you get a lovely roux. Mix for a further minute or two, and then slowly whisk in the milk, little by little. You don’t want it to burn, but you want the sauce to begin thickening slowly. Then whisk in the cheddar slowly, ensuring the sauce doesn’t go clumpy.

Drain the pasta/broccoli and return to the pot, which should now be over a low heat. Add a spray or two of olive oil. When the sauce is ready, add it to the broccoli and pasta and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and serve (in any colour bowl of your choice of course).

For the 'normal' serving, dish out 1/3 of the overall pasta. The remaining pasta will make for a 'hungry' portion...

Calories per 'normal' serving: 682. Perfect for fueling my exercise session tomorrow.