If you thought cauliflower was boring, our delicious cauliflower pasta bake will prove you delightfully wrong. A crispy cheese topping and chives will add a real sparkle to this hearty dish.
A Simple Recipe for Busy Nights: Our Pasta & Cauliflower Bake Recipe
Pasta is one of the true MVPs in the kitchen and there’s hardly an ingredient that doesn’t taste good with pasta, which is glorious in all its shapes and sizes. So it comes as no surprise that this easy pasta and cauliflower bake is often on our menu. Not only does it tastes good, but also needs a mere 20 minutes to bake!
Of course you’re hankering to make this bad boy for yourself! No worries, we can guide you through just how to best make this. Start by preparing the cauliflower. Wash it thoroughly and remove any parts you don’t need, such as the stalk and any remaining leaves. Then cut it into small florets. Now it’s time for the pasta. Cook it in salted water until just al dente, keep in mind that the pasta will keep cooking in the oven. Make sure you don’t throw away the pasta water afterwards, as it will come in handy for the sauce. Save and set aside around 1 ¼ cups for the sauce later, and cook the cauliflower in the remaing pasta water.
While the cauliflower is cooking, you’ll have a good window to prepare the sauce. To do so, melt butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir until smooth. For this recipe, there should be no lumps in the sauce. Gradually add the milk and the reserved pasta water while continuing to stir vigorously. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens slightly, and season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. After you’ve placed the pasta and cauliflower in your casserole dish, pour the sauce over it and top with grated cheese on top. Finally, get excited because dinner will be ready in 20 minutes.
Casseroles are a great comfort food and often easy to prepare. You can find ideas for more casserole recipes here. Italo-enthusiasts will adore our feta & tomato bake, while our chicken and carrot casserole and cheesy bacon & bratwurst breakfast casserole provide the ultimate comfort meal.
Cauliflower Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower cut into small florets
- A bunch of chives
- 14 oz 0.9 lb pasta, such as rigatoni or rotini
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups milk
- Pepper to taste
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 3.5 oz grated cheese of choice e.g. Gouda or mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Wash the cauliflower, remove the leaves and stalk. Cut into small florets. Wash the chives, chop, and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 ¼ cups of pasta water when draining! This will help thicken the sauce.
- Cook the cauliflower in the remaining pasta water for about 6 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisk in milk and pasta water, alternating between the two until fully integrated. Continue stirring the sauce is smooth. Simmer for 3 minutes over low heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Add the cauliflower and pasta to a baking dish and pour the sauce over top. Top with grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown. Sprinkle chives on top before serving.