Cauliflower and cheese pasta bake
This cauliflower pasta bake recipe is sure to become a family dinner staple! Creamy cheese sauce, nutty cauliflower and plenty of crunchy breadcrumbs make this dish a hit with kids and adults alike
Ingredients
Cauliflower and cheese pasta bake
- 250 g (8 ounce) packet spiral (corkscrew) pasta
- 30 g (1 ounce) butter
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 500 g (1 pound) frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 egg, beaten lightly
- 1/4 cup (20g) panko (japanese) breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Steps
Cauliflower and cheese pasta bake
- Preheat grill (broiler). Oil a 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish.
- Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, drain.
- Meanwhile, to make cheese sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan, add flour, cook, stirring, until bubbling. Gradually stir in milk, cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup of the cheese, and the parsley.
- Combine pasta, cheese sauce and cauliflower in a large bowl, stir in egg. Spoon mixture into dish, top with combined breadcrumbs and remaining cheese, sprinkle with nutmeg.
- Place under hot grill about 10 minutes or until golden brown.