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NST kitchen · dinner

Roasted pepper and cheddar macaroni

Macaroni folded through a smooth roasted-pepper cheese sauce, with a crunchy cheddar breadcrumb top.

  • vegetarian
Prep (est.)
15 min
Cook (est.)
35 min
Total (est.)
50 min
Base servings
4
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Serving illustration of creamy roasted-pepper cheddar macaroni under a golden breadcrumb topping in a cream baking dish.
Serving illustration, not a photograph.Serving illustration, not a photographed cooking result. Portions and appearance are illustrative; actual results may vary.Original NST visual

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Ingredients

Original recipe: 4

One fixed batch makes 4 servings. Keep the listed quantities, pan and method unchanged. For more, repeat the full batch; for fewer, follow the recipe's storage guidance for unused portions.

Ingredients for 4 servings.

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You will need

  • Oven and hob
  • Large pasta saucepan, separate medium sauce saucepan, colander, whisk and measuring jug
  • Blender suitable for cool ingredients and a separate topping bowl
  • Shallow 1.8–2 litre ovenproof dish, grater, scales and oven gloves

Let's make it

The method

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0 of 5 steps marked

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  1. Step 1. Prepare the sauce and topping

    Heat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional. Blend the drained peppers with the cold milk until smooth. Mix the breadcrumbs, oil and 40 g of the grated cheddar in a separate bowl. Set aside the remaining 140 g cheddar for the sauce.

  2. Step 2. Cook the macaroni

    Cook the macaroni following its full packet method until tender but not mushy. Drain well. While it cooks, start the sauce so pasta and sauce finish close together.

  3. Step 3. Make the cheese sauce

    Melt butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and paprika for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the pepper-and-milk mixture, a little at a time at first, until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, whisking, until thickened with no dry flour taste or lumps. Take off the heat and stir in mustard and the 140 g sauce cheddar until melted.

  4. Step 4. Fill and bake

    Fold the drained macaroni into the hot sauce and transfer to the shallow dish. Scatter over all the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for roughly 18–22 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the centre is steaming hot. If the top colours too early, cover loosely with foil and continue until the middle is hot.

  5. Step 5. Serve

    Set the dish on a heatproof surface with oven gloves. Divide into four portions and serve promptly, allowing each mouthful to cool to a comfortable temperature.

Make it work for you

Swaps & variations

  • Use another small pasta shape with the same dry weight and follow its own packet cooking time.
  • Use vegetarian Red Leicester instead of cheddar in the same weight. The colour and flavour will change.

Recipe notes & sources

Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.

  • FSA cooking guidance

    Cooking endpoints, clean temperature probes and once-only reheating; not validation of these recipes, estimated times or flavours.

    Checked 2026-10-23
  • FSA chilling and defrosting guidance

    Prompt cooling, chilled leftovers and label-led storage; no shelf-life experiment has been conducted by NST.

    Checked 2026-10-23
  • FSA allergen advice for consumers

    Ingredient and precautionary-label checks, including the distinction between vegan and allergen-free; no product certified.

    Checked 2026-10-23

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