Manchego, Spanish Paprika & Leeks Mac 'n' Cheese

We had some Manchego cheese and a huge leek in the fridge and both of us were starving Saturday lunchtime. So, I had a look in our pantry and rustled up this recipe quite quickly to be honest. It took me about an hour to prep and cook it. This dish is kind of a Spanish take on the American classic and is very tasty. Do not worry if you do not have Spanish paprika or Spanish sherry, use whatever paprika or sherry you have but if you manage to get the real deal it will definitely be worth it. The Manchego cheese and Spanish paprikas give this dish its piquant, smoky flavours and the leeks provide the sweetness whilst the breadcrumbs provide the crunchy bit. Give it a go and I can guarantee that you will ask for more!! For 4 people (or 2 very hungry people) you will need...

• 1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced
• 15g +25g butter
• 60ml Spanish Dry Sherry
• 500ml whole milk
• 25g plain flour
• ½ teaspoon Pimentón Dulce (Spanish sweet paprika)
• ½ teaspoon Pimentón Picante (Spanish hot paprika)
• 1 teaspoon Pimentón Ahumado (Spanish smoked paprika)
• 250g Pennette or Macaroni
• 200g Manchego cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• Salt & pepper 

How to...

1. Start by cooking the pasta until nearly al dente. When cooked rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Now, let’s cook the leeks. Add 15g butter to a small frying pan and when melted, add the leeks and cook on medium heat for a 5 minutes. Now, season with salt & pepper and add the sherry. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the sherry has evaporated and leeks are soft. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
4. For the cheese sauce, add 25g of butter to a medium pan and when melted add the flour and stir for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Add the milk and the 3 types of paprika and stir on a low to medium heat stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add about 150g of the grated cheese. Stir again until the cheese is melted.
5. Now in the cheese sauce pan add the cooked pasta and cooked leeks. Stir well to mix the pasta with the sauce and pour into a small oven dish (we used a round 20cm diameter earthenware dish). Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs and more freshly black pepper.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Serve!
   

Enjoy!!

R&A