Gourmet macaroni cheese

[Serves 6]

500g penne pasta, cooked
2 cups cream
¼ cup white wine (optional)
250g Gruyère cheese, grated
¼ cup whole-grain mustard
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter
250g baby Rosa tomatoes
230g asparagus tips, blanched and cut into bite-sized pieces
100g packet of assorted roasted and salted nuts, roughly chopped
100g fresh breadcrumbs
60g butter, cut into small cubes

1 Preheat oven to 180°C degrees.
2 In a pot, gently heat cream and wine, then add 200g cheese; allow to melt. Whisk through mustard, salt, pepper.
3 In another pot, heat 1 tbsp butter and sauté tomatoes until the skins split open.
4 In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, asparagus, pasta, the cheese sauce and two-thirds of the nuts. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish or ramekins.
5 Sprinkle with reserved nuts, cheese and breadcrumbs. Dot with butter, bake for 15–20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and topping is golden brown.