Lusatian pasta casserole

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g pasta (croissants)
• 200 g mushrooms
• 10 g mushrooms (mixed mushrooms), dried
• 1 onion(s)
• 200 g leek
• 200 g carrot(s)
• 200 ml milk, possibly low-fat
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 60 g cheese (Edam), reduced fat
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, heaped tbsp
• nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, possibly herb salt
• Water
• Fat for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

very aromatic

Soak the dried mushrooms in water (about 1/2 a jar) for one hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat). Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile, roughly dice the mushrooms and finely dice the onions. Clean the carrots and cut into short sticks. Also thoroughly clean the leeks, halve them lengthwise, and cut them into thin half rings. Drain the dried mushrooms well and reserve the soaking water separately. Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the onions. Now add the carrots, leeks, and all the mushrooms and fry vigorously for about 5 minutes over high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the soaking water and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed. If the carrots are still too crunchy, add more water. You can also use some of the cooking water from the pasta. However, the vegetables should have absorbed all the liquid. Season again. Drain the pasta, let it drain well, and toss it with the vegetables. Grease a baking dish and pour in the pasta mixture. For the sauce, bring the milk and vegetable stock to a boil and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water until smooth and stir into the simmering milk. Bring back to a boil briefly and then remove from the heat. Grate the cheese and mix it into the sauce. It’s best to mix everything well with a whisk. Pour the sauce over the pasta and tap it lightly under the baking dish with your hand to allow the sauce to seep in. Bake the casserole for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.