Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

close up shot of cauliflower cheese pasta bake with black serving spoon digging in

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5 from 2 votes

All the deliciousness of a classic cauliflower cheese turned into the most incredible pasta bake!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: British, Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

9" x 9" Baking Dish (or similar size)
Large Baking Tray
Large Pan, Wooden Spoon & Whisk
Jug
Cheese Grater
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients

1 medium/large head of Cauliflower, diced into bite-sized florets (whole head should weigh around 850g/1.8lb before being diced)
10.5oz / 300g Short Cut Pasta, here I use Conchiglie
2 cups / 480ml Milk, at room temp
1 cup / 240ml Veg Stock
1 cup / 100g Cheddar, grated (plus more to top)
1 cup / 100g Gruyere, grated (see notes)
4 - 5 slices of Bacon
4 tbsp EACH: Flour, Butter
1 heaped tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, White Pepper
1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp Salt, plus more as needed
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
2 pinches of Ground Nutmeg
1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Add cauliflower florets to a baking dish or tray and combine with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt & 1/8 tsp black pepper. Roast in the oven at 200C/400F for around 20mins, or until lightly charred and fork tender (toss once throughout). Timings will depend on the size of the florets, so just be vigilant. You don't need them completely soft as they'll carry on cooking in the pasta bake.
With around 8-10mins to go, add the pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. You want it still a touch hard, otherwise, it'll end up too soft once baked. Drain when needed.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat and stir in 4 tbsp flour. Gradually add in 1 cup of veg stock then 2 cups of milk, whisking as you go to avoid lumps forming. Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, turn off the heat and stir through 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup gruyere. Stir in 1 heaped tsp dijon alongside 1/4 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, salt and 2 pinches nutmeg.
Stir in the drained pasta alongside the roasted cauliflower. Pour into a baking dish then roughly cover with more cheddar. Place the dish on a baking tray and pop in the oven at the same temp for 20-25mins, or until deep golden and bubbly. At this point, you can cook the bacon, either in the oven or on the stove.
Dice the bacon, scatter over the pasta bake then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Gruyere - Gruyere has a gorgeous sweet and nutty twang to it, which works perfectly in this recipe. You'll find it in nearly all supermarkets/grocery stores. If you don't have it/want to use it, you can sub more cheddar. Do use it though if you can!

b) Al dente pasta - Like mentioned in the method, you want to boil the pasta until it's just al dente. Any more and it'll turn sloppy when baking.

c) Bacon - This really takes to the dish to the next level, so definitely add it if you can. The reason I bake it separately is so it stays nice and crisp, to make the perfect topping.

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 assuming 5 slices bacon and 1/2 cup/50g to top.

Nutrition