Name: Cauliflower, bacon and cheese pasta bake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 grams short pasta; 4 rashers bacon, chopped; 30 grams butter, chopped; 2 tablespoon plain flour; 2 cups (500ml) milk; 1½ cups (150g) coarsely grated mozzarella; 2/3 cup (50g) finely grated parmesan; 500 grams frozen cauliflower florets; ¼ cup (20g) panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Cauliflower, bacon and cheese pasta bake

A simple, budget-friendly pasta bake to feed the family.

Serves 4

Prep

Cook

20M

Total

25M

Ingredients

300 grams short pasta

4 rashers bacon, chopped

30 grams butter, chopped

2 tablespoon plain flour

2 cups (500ml) milk

1½ cups (150g) coarsely grated mozzarella

2/3 cup (50g) finely grated parmesan

500 grams frozen cauliflower florets

¼ cup (20g) panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs

1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Method

1.Preheat grill. Oil a 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish.

2.Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Add the cauliflower to the pan during the last few minutes. Drain.

3.Meanwhile, add the bacon to a medium saucepan, cook, stirring, over medium heat until browned lightly. Add the butter to the pan then the flour; cook, stirring, until bubbling. Gradually stir in the milk; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat; stir in half the cheeses. Season to taste.

4.Combine pasta mixture and cheese sauce in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into prepared dish, top with combined breadcrumbs and remaining cheeses.

5.Place dish under hot grill for 10 minutes or until top is golden. Suitable to freeze.

If you want to prep ahead of time, bake instead of using the grill. Bake at 200C (180C fan forced) for 30 minutes or until browned and heated through.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

Instagram Facebook