Spanakopita macaroni and cheese

I love to cook hybrid, fun and/or contemporary versions of Greek recipes and American classics. This one combines my two sides, Greek and American, and the result is a macaroni and cheese that gets everyone eating their spinach!

Credit: My Greek Table

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Bechamel

• 3 cups milk (see Note)
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) extra virgin Greek olive oil
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• ½ cup grated Greek kefalotyri or kefalograviera cheese or grated parmesan or romano, plus more for sprinkling on top

Pasta and filling

• 450 g (1 lb) elbow pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin Greek olive oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 450 g (1 lb) pre-cut fresh spinach
• 1½ cups crumbled Greek feta
• 1 cup fresh Greek anthotyro cheese or ricotta, drained
• 1 bunch dill stems removed, snipped (optional)
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg or more to taste
• ¼ cup plain dried breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
2. Make the béchamel: Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and set aside. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and as soon as it starts to sizzle a little, add the flour. Whisk continuously for 3 to 5 minutes to form a roux; do not brown the flour. Slowly add the warm milk, whisking all the while. Continue to whisk the béchamel until it thickens but is still liquid. It should be the consistency of pancake batter.
3. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour in the egg in a fast, steady stream, whisking vigorously. Stir in the grated cheese. Set the béchamel aside, covered with a kitchen towel.
4. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain immediately and toss with 1½ tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large, deep skillet heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the leeks until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for a minute to soften. Add the spinach, in increments if necessary, and sauté until wilted and until most of the liquid it exudes has cooked off. Remove from the heat. Mix in the cheeses and dill, if using, and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the elbow pasta, spinach mixture and béchamel.
7. Spoon the mixture into an oiled casserole dish and sprinkle the top of the spanakopita mac ‘n’ cheese with additional grated cheese if desired and with the breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until set and golden.
8. Remove, cool slightly and serve.

Note

• You can use skim, whole or even goat's milk to make the olive oil bechamel.

• You can make the bechamel and the filling a day or two ahead of time and assemble the mac 'n' cheese the day you plan to cook it.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.