Mac and cheese

Not really a mac and cheese but more like cheesy pasta bake. I did not have macaroni on hand so I used spiral pasta I have in my pantry.

Serves 3 as appetizer
200g macaroni (or short pasta)
1 garlic clove, peeled
10g butter, plus extra to grease
300ml thin cream
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
200g of grated cheese ( gruyère, cheddar or any hard cheese)
30cm x 18cm x 5cm gratin dish, buttered.

1. Preheat the oven to 180
2. Place the bayleaf, cream and garlic in a saucepan and let it boil. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Boil pasta according the instruction on the packet. When cooked, drain well and add olive oil to coat.
4. Remove garlic and bayleaf from the cream, and mix in 150g of cheese and nutmeg. Add pasta and coat them with sauce. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
5. Tip the mixture into the gratin dish. Lay the mixture out evenly. Sprinkle 50g of cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes till golden and bubbling.

I feel that the dish was a bit too big for my mixture. If I used a smaller dish, it would have been better.