Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake Recipe
My cauliflower cheese pasta bake is a gloriously gooey comforting dish that combines blue Stilton, nutty Gruyere and sharp mature cheddar with English mustard and Henderson's relish to deliver flavours that are similar to a classic "rarebit" sauce.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 934kcal
Ingredients
- 500 ml Full Fat Milk 2 Cups
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 12 Black Peppercorns
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 1 Small Cauliflower 650-750g or 1lb 6oz Net Weight
- 150 g Pasta 1½-1¾ Cups (I use Gnocchi Sardi AKA Gnochetti)
- Salt for Boiling the Pasta
- 75 g Mature Cheddar Cheese ¾ Cup
- 50 g Gruyere Cheese ½ Cup
- 50 g Stilton Cheese ½ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Prepared English Mustard
- 2 tablespoon Hendersons Relish
- 30 g Butter 2 tablespoon
- 30 g Flour 3 Tbsp
Instructions
- Heat a small 6" or 15cm saucepan over a medium heat and add the bay leaf, peppercorns and milk.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it, and toss it into the milk, heating it while you prepare the rest of the dish. You do not want to boil the milk; just heat it until bubbles form on the side of the milk, then turn it down, keep it hot, and allow the flavours to infuse.
- Cut the leaves from the cauliflower, cut out the centre core and then cut it into bite-sized florets. You should end up with around 350-400g or 3½ cups of cauliflower.
- Grate the cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and crumble the Stilton cheese.
- Bring a 20cm or 8" pan of well-salted water to a boil. I use 1½ teaspoons of salt in a pan this size. Then add the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than it says on the packet, this will be around 8-9 minutes depending on the pasta type.
- Strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve into a jug and discard the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Whilst the pasta is boiling, heat an 18cm or 7" pan over a medium heat, melt the butter, and when the butter has melted, add the flour, then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the milk little by little, stirring continuously to create a smooth white sauce.
- Toss in the three types of cheese, English mustard and the Henderson's relish, and stir until the cheese has melted. Don't expect a silky smooth sauce, Stilton will leave it looking a bit lumpy, but it will be fine! Have a taste here and add salt if necessary, it shouldn't be.
- By now, the pasta should have had its cooking time. Toss in the cauliflower and cook for 90 seconds, then drain and allow it to "steam" dry for 60 seconds.
- Mix the cheese sauce through the cauliflower and pasta, then transfer this mix to a baking dish (25cm by 15cm or 10"x6") and pop it into a hot oven, 200°C or 390°F fan mode or 220°C or 430°F normal mode. Bake until golden and bubbly, this will take around 20-25 minutes.
- Allow the bake to rest for 4-5 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 934kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1062mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 18g
