Comforting

The cauliflower cheese pasta bake you need this winter

Name: Cauli cheese pasta bake with crispy sage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 250g shell pasta; 100g unsalted butter; 2 bay leaves; 1 onion, finely chopped (we used Woolworths Macro); 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1/2 bunch sage, roughly chopped, plus extra whole leaves; 1 tbs plain flour; 900ml pure (thin) cream; 200g smoked cheese, coarsely grated; 1 1/4 cups (100g) finely grated parmesan; 1 large cauliflower, blanched until just tender, cut into wedges; 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

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Cauli cheese pasta bake with crispy sage

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by Phoebe Wood

May 01, 2018

Is there any more comforting than a cheesy, golden pasta bake? We sure don't think so.

250g shell pasta
100g unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped (we used Woolworths Macro)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bunch sage, roughly chopped, plus extra whole leaves
1 tbs plain flour
900ml pure (thin) cream
200g smoked cheese, coarsely grated
1 1/4 cups (100g) finely grated parmesan
1 large cauliflower, blanched until just tender, cut into wedges
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 2.5L baking dish. Cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
2.

Heat butter in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and add bay leaves, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened and butter is lightly browned. Discard bay leaves.
3.

Add sage and flour, and stir for 2 minutes to cook out flour. Gradually add cream, stirring until smooth, then add half smoked cheese, parmesan and cooked pasta, stirring to combine. Crumble in two-thirds of the cauliflower. Add nutmeg and season.
4.

Transfer to prepared dish. Top with remaining cauliflower and remaining 100g smoked cheese, and scatter with extra sage. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.