Pasta Jumble

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 35 mins

4 oz - farfalle or fusilli pasta

- salt and pepper

1 oz - butter

2 tablespoons - flour

½ pint - milk

½ tablespoon - English mustard (the hot stuff!)

4 oz - Double Gloucester (or other strong) cheese

4 oz - lean cooked ham

1 - green pepper

2 oz - sweet corn

1 - tomato

Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet (usually about 8 minutes), then drain in a sieve (strainer) or colander. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook on a gentle heat for one minute. Remove from the heat and gradually blend in the milk, stirring all the time. Heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens then add the mustard plus salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and cook for a further 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the pasta and stir. grate (shred) the cheese, chop the ham into small pieces and core, seed and finely chop the green pepper. Place all of these, plus the sweet corn into the pan, mix well and reheat.
Transfer the mixture to a shallow oven-proof dish. Place in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 5 - 375ºF - 190ºC) for 10 minutes. Slice the tomato and arrange the slices on the top of the dish then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.