Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

Here is the recipe you’ve been looking for!  My 6 year old is not a veggie eater (except for raw carrots) and he gobbled this up.  Listen very carefully, “You need to try this one.  I promise it will be a crowd pleaser.”

Pasta Bake for the fussiest of eaters!

We got a gigantic head of cauliflower from our CSA, our good friends over at Sweet Georgia P’s, and I thought, “What am I going to do with such a big head of cauliflower?”

Cauliflower from Sweet Georgia P’s

I told you it was big!!!  My hubby kept saying how he loved when his mom used to make cauliflower cheese for him in England.  I never grew up with dish, so here’s my rendition of it.  I will tell you that it will be a staple in our house from now on.

Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake
– Head of Cauliflower
– 1lb of your favorite pasta (I like whole wheat barilla)
– Shredded Cheese 
– Bechamel Sauce (see below recipe)

Boil the head of cauliflower.  I cut off the florets to make it quicker and boiled them.  At the same time I boiled the pasta until it was el dente.

While preparing the cauliflower and pasta. Make the bechamel sauce.  I like the one on epicurious’ website, but I use more cheese:

Bechamel Cheese Sauce Recipe

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (mexican cheese works well too) during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Mix together the cauliflower, the cheese sauce and the pasta and top with more shredded cheese.

top with more shredded cheese

Next bake in the oven until golden brown.  Just like Luke’s mom made (but with some pasta too!)

Dinner is served and you’ll have lots of happy faces smiling at you from around the table!