Dear parents and children: Cauliflower and pasta bake with creamy cheese sauce
The cauliflower and pasta bake with creamy cheese sauce is the best comfort food from the oven and an absolute family favorite.
Ingredients · Servings 4 people
- 1 small cauliflower (approx. 600 g)
- 100g Cheddar cheese (piece)
- 75 g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese (piece)
- 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 300 g chicken macaroni
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- 100g rye or mixed bread
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 200g whipping cream
- 2 packs (50 g each) of diced ham
- 3. Butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method · 45 min
- Bring 2–3 liters of salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per liter) to a boil. Clean and wash the cauliflower, then divide it into small florets. Grate the cheese separately. Wash the herbs, shake them dry, pluck the leaves, and chop them separately. Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water according to the package directions. Add the cauliflower for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven (electric: 180°C/fan: 160°C/gas: see manufacturer's instructions). Remove the crust from the bread and coarsely crumble it in a food processor or tear it into pieces. Wash the lemon with hot water, dry it, and finely grate the zest. Peel and chop the garlic.
- Drain the pasta and cauliflower. Mix with cream, cheese (except 3 tablespoons of cheddar), 50g diced ham, and herbs (except 2 teaspoons of thyme). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- Heat the butter and oil. Fry the bread and 50g of ham in it. Briefly fry the garlic, remaining thyme, and lemon zest. Season with pepper. Sprinkle over the casserole.
We love oven-baked cauliflower, and this casserole is one of our absolute favorites. Simply cook pasta and cauliflower, mix them together in a flavorful cheese sauce made with cheddar, cream, diced ham, and herbs in a casserole dish, and pop it in the oven. For the final crunch, sprinkle crispy breadcrumbs infused with garlic, thyme, and lemon zest over the cauliflower pasta dish before serving. Comfort food at its finest!
