Sunday Recipe: The ultimate makeover: Macaroni cheese

A lighter version of this favourite comfort food dish that doesnt compromise on flavour Ingredients• 550ml semi-skimmed milk • 25g cornflour • 1 heaped tsp English mustard powder • 1 large garlic clove , finely chopped • generous pinch crushed dried chillies • 140g extra mature cheddar , such as David stow or Den hay • 25g Parmesan • 25g fresh breadcrumbs • 450g/1lb mix of tomatoes, such as cherry and vine tomatoes • 1 bunch spring onions , ends trimmed • 200g macaroni • 150ml buttermilk Serves 4 Preparation and cooking timesPrep 30 minutes Cook 35 minutes Vegetarian Method1. Mix 3 tbsp of milk with the cornflour and mustard, set aside. Heat the rest of the milk with the garlic until just coming to boil. Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the crushed chillies and leave to infuse. 2. Get everything else ready. Coarsely grate both cheeses, keeping them separate. Mix a handful of the cheddar into the breadcrumbs with a grinding of pepper. Thickly slice the medium tomatoes and halve the cherry. Finely slice the spring onions. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. 3. Bring a pan of water up to the boil, tip in the macaroni, and give it a stir so it doesnt stick, then cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spring onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Stir the cornflour mix into the warm milk. Return the pan to the heat, and then bring to the boil, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, most of the remaining cheddar and some pepper to taste. Stir in the buttermilk. 4. Tip the macaroni into a colander, drain, and then hold under a very hot tap to keep it all separate. Drain well, and then stir into the sauce. Pour into an ovenproof dish, about 30 x 20 x 5.5cm deep. Lay the tomatoes over the top then scatter over the cheesy breadcrumbs, the rest of the cheese and a grating of pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes until starting to bubble around the edges. Grill for about 5 minutes until the top is crisp and well browned. Let sit for a few minutes to settle before serving. 503 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 62g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 3g, sugar 14g, salt 1.15 g Ends