Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

Cauliflower cheese is one of my all-time favourite side dishes. I mean, when you slather most foods in cheese and bake it, you’re on to a winner. But cauliflower just takes on all that deliciousness so well. The only thing better than cauliflower cheese though? Cauliflower cheese pasta bake. Follow me…

Roasted Cauliflower

Put the pot of boiling water away, put the steamer away, put it all away. Roasting cauliflower is the superior method and here’s why: I typically roast it in the baking dish I’m using for the pasta bake itself, just for less washing up. You can use a separate tray if you’d prefer, but the main thing to make sure the cauliflower is somewhat spaced out. If it’s all crammed on top of each other it’s just going to steam instead of roast. The photo below is right at the limit of what you want spacing-wise. Process shot: coat cauliflower in oil, salt & pepper (photo 1), roast (photo 2).

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

Okay, roasted cauliflower is great and all. But quite frankly, bring on the cheese. We’re going to be making a classic cheese sauce with butter, flour, milk and cheese, but we’re going to sub some of the milk out for vegetable stock. Just to add some depth of flavour.

What kind of cheese to use?

Here I use Gruyere and Cheddar. Gruyere has a gorgeous sweet and nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with creamy sauces AND cauliflower.

Cheese Sauce Seasoning

Just for a little extra ‘umph’, we’re going to add in some onion & garlic powder, with some white pepper and nutmeg. Alongside those flavour boosters, I love adding in some dijon mustard too. Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), add flour (photo 2), stir (photo 3), whisk in milk & stock (photo 4), stir in cheese (photo 5), stir in seasoning & dijon (photo 6).

Cauliflower Cheese Pasta

When it comes to pasta, I love using Conchiglie. Mainly because the sauce gets caught inside, but realistically you can use any kind of short-cut pasta. The main thing is that you only cook it until al dente. Reason being is that it’ll continue cooking whilst in the oven, so if you cook your pasta to packet instruction it’s going to be too soft and sludgy once it’s out of the oven.

Pasta Bake Topping

Now you could finish the pasta with some sort of crumb topping before baking, but since we’re doing it cauliflower cheese style, it’d be rude not to finish with more cheese. You’ll only need to roughly cover the top, some exposed pasta works nicely because it goes crispy. Once baked, I love finishing with crispy bacon (do I need to justify this!?). I recommend cooking this at the same time as the pasta bake, so it’s perfectly crisp when ready to serve. Process shots: stir in pasta (photo 1), stir in cauliflower (photo 2), add to baking dish (photo 3), top with cheese (photo 4), bake (photo 5), top with bacon (photo 6).

Do I have to use Gruyere?

Cheddar cauliflower pasta is a popular combo, so if for whatever reason you don’t have/want Gruyere just stick with cheddar.

Do I have to add the bacon?

I do highly recommend adding it if you can. Cheese + cauliflower + pasta + BACON!? Gotta be done. Having said that I have made it without in the past and it’s still delicious.

Serving Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

Once it’s out of the oven, I usually let it sit for a few mins, at least until it stops bubbling. Mainly so I don’t burn the roof of my mouth off, but also because it gives the pasta bake a final chance to reform its shape and thicken up a little. Looking for more similar recipes? Check out my Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese and Broccoli Pasta Bake! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cauliflower cheese pasta bake shall we?!