METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius fan assisted.

Rip the stale bread slice into smaller pieces and place in a blender jug or a food processor along with the other ingredients for the crunchy topping. Blitz, or if using a food processor pulse, until you reach a good bread crumb consistency. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Cook your pasta in a lot of water until al dente, i.e. with some bite left to it. You want to make sure you don’t over cook your pasta as it will continue to cook a little more in the oven. Once al dente drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Cut your carrot into coins and place them in a pot with water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil and cook until tender. In the meantime place all the remaining mac and cheese ingredients, except for the black pepper and pasta of course, in the same blender jug as before. No need to clean in between uses for this recipe. Once the carrots are tender drain them and add them to the blender jug as well and blend on high speed until the sauce is smooth.

Pop your pasta in a large mixing bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Mix well and then pour it all into an oven dish. Sprinkle the black pepper over the top followed by your bread crumb mix. If you are using a chunkier bread you might not want to use all the bread crumb you made. Simply cover most of the mac with a light layer and then place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and nicely crisp.

Serve with green peas or maybe steamed broccoli.