Mac n cheese -- with a twist

There's nothing more comforting than a good bowl of plain mac n'cheese.Pasta is a favourite no matter how its made and I wanted to make Mac and cheese from scratch at home instead of using a box. I jazzed it up a bit by adding a few of my fav ingredients.

You will need:

2 Cups Macaroni Elbows
1 small Onion, cut into thin strips
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
½ Red bell pepper cut into thin strips
1½ cups Milk
3 tbsp Olive oil
3 tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese (shredded)
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp All purpose Flour
2 handfuls bread crumbs

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously, add a tsp of Oil and then add the pasta. Stir and cook for 8 minutes till pasta is cooked through. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in an oven proof pan. Add the onions, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes till onions and peppers are soft. Heat the milk in another pan, do not boil.Add the flour and stir continuously till smooth. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Flour is used here to give the pasta a binding agent. Slowly stir in the hot milk and stir continuously to make a smooth thick paste. Cook on low till the sauce thickens.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Turn off heat. Stir in the chopped basil, salt, pepper and the shredded cheese. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly.

Transfer to a baking dish and spread to form an even layer. Top with the bread crumbs and a handful of shredded cheese.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs have browned. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

I enjoyed this to the last bite.