Cauli Mac & Cheese with Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs

Cauli Mac & Cheese with Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs

Ready in 40 minutes Serves 5
This dish most recently appeared in My Choice (5 Nights For 4) on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

While we think cheese is the bee’s knees, cauliflower is the hero of this vegetarian classic. It’s an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and it’s high in fibre. Paired with yummy cheese and pasta, the little ones won’t even know that they’re eating super healthy veggies!


Ingredients

Cauli & Pasta

  • 1/2 cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 2/3 pack pennete rigata pasta
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 1 drizzle of oil

Sauce

  • 2 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 leek, cut in half & thinly sliced
  • 125g colby cheese, grated
  • 1 drizzle of oil
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1 pack classic spice blend
  • 3 Tbsp plain flour

Breadcrumbs

  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 50g breadcrumbs

Steps

  1. Bring a large pot of hot salted tap water to the boil (with a lid).
  2. Chop cauliflower. Add pasta and cauliflower to pot of boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, until just tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain well. Return pasta and cauliflower to pot with spinach and oil.
  3. Mince garlic. Heat butter in a large fry-pan on medium heat. Add garlic, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe pan clean.
  4. Thinly slice leek and grate cheese. Return pan to medium heat with oil and cook leek for 7-8 minutes, stirring, until tender. Add to pot with cooked and drained pasta. Keep pan on heat and reduce to low-medium.
  5. Melt butter in pan, add classic spice blend and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Gradually whisk in milk and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir frequently.
  6. When sauce has thickened, stir in cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. If sauce is too thick, add a splash more milk. Pour into pot with cooked pasta and stir to combine.
  7. Cauli pasta sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Nutritional Information

Energy 2617 kj
625 kcal
Protein 22.9g
Carbohydrate 69.0g
Fat 27.2g