Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese

By Jamie Oliver

45 mins cooking time

Serves 6

I’ve written this recipe to serve 6, but it’s easy to double up if you want to get into the batch-cooking vibe and get an extra meal or two in the freezer, or if you want to safely drop a dish on a neighbour’s doorstep (just don't forget to back away once you've rung the bell. Social distancing, people!). You can get this prepped in the morning, ready to bake up for lunch or dinner. Happy days. - Jamie Oliver. This recipe was featured on Jamie Oliver's Keep Cooking and Carry on Show.

Kids , Vegetarian , Pasta , Dinner

Recipe nutrition per serving

Calories

477 kcals

23%

Fat

11.6g

16%

Saturates

6.0g

30%

Protein

21.8g

43%

Carbs

75.6g

29%

Sugar

9.8g

10%

Sodium

1.1g

18%

Fibre

5.8g

Of an adults reference intake

Ingredients

olive oil

a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano, optional

2 cloves of garlic

100g stale bread

100g mixed cheese , such as Cheddar, Parmesan, feta, halloumi

1 teaspoon English mustard

500 ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tablespoon plain flour

450g dried pasta

1 small head of cauliflowe , (600g)

½ a bulb of fennel, optional

1 stick of celery

1 leek

15g unsalted butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter.

Trim, halve, wash and slice the leek and add to the pan. Stir regularly while you trim, slice and add the celery, then trim, chop and add the fennel, if using.

Break the cauliflower into florets, then cut into 2cm-thick slices and finely slice the stalk and any nice leaves. Add the stalk and leaves to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured, stirring regularly.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes (5 if using macaroni). Reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and pour into a 25cm x 35cm baking dish (or divide between smaller ones), along with the cauliflower florets.

Stir the flour into the veg pan for 30 seconds, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time, followed by 500ml of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the mustard and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Let the sauce blip away until thickened while you coarsely grate the cheese.

Stir the cheese into the sauce, then blitz until smooth with a hand blender, or in batches in a food processor.

Pour over the pasta and cauliflower florets then, if you need to loosen it, add a little reserved pasta water – the sauce will thicken up as it bakes.

Blitz your stale bread into crumbs in the processor (or smash up in a clean tea towel). Peel and grate the garlic. Pick the herb leaves, if using, and mix it all together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Scatter the crumbs over the pasta, grating over more cheese, if you’ve got it, then bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.