Cauliflower, Broccoli and Bacon Pasta Bake
User Reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
578 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
British
Cauliflower, Broccoli and Bacon Pasta Bake
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A delicious twist on macaroni cheese, this Cauliflower, Broccoli and Bacon Pasta Bake is a quick and easy midweek meal that’s packed full of flavour and a real crowdpleaser! (Serves 4-6, depending on appetite and accompaniments.)
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Ingredients
- 300 g Pasta shapes (I use fusilli, but penne also works well)
- 250 g cauliflower cut into bitesize pieces
- 250 g broccoli cut into bitesize pieces
- 200 g lardons or diced bacon (I use Tesco Finest Lardons)
- 30 g butter
- 25 g plain flour (AKA all purpose flour)
- 500 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste (see Note 1)
- 200 g mature cheddar cheese grated (I use Davidstow Mature Cheddar)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions / your own preferences in a large saucepan. (See Note 2.) For best results, slightly undercook the pasta. This is because the pasta will cook a little more when baked in the oven.
- Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the pasta pan for the last 4 minutes of cooking time. (See Note 2.) When the broccoli, cauliflower and pasta have finished cooking, drain and tip into a large, shallow oven dish.
- Meanwhile, place the lardons in a small frying pan over a high heat and fry until crisp and golden (about 3 minutes). Turn off the heat and tip into the oven dish.
- Next, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a medium sized pan over a low heat. When the butter is foaming, add the flour and stir until it’s mixed in. Then keep cooking for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. It takes guts to do this. It looks like something is going to go wrong but it won’t!
- Very gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Make sure each bit of milk is incorporated before adding the next bit. If you do this slowly on a very low heat, you should end up with a perfectly smooth cheese sauce with no lumps and no need to whisk. However, if it does go wrong for some reason, you can always use a whisk to beat out the lumps.
- When all the milk is incorporated, add the mustard, salt (if using – see Note 1.) and pepper. Then add half the cheese, stir to combine and turn off the heat.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, vegetables and lardons (which should by now be in the oven dish), stir to mix everything together and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until brown and bubbling.
- Serve on its own or with a green salad and/or garlic bread.
Notes
- I only use black pepper as I find the cheese and bacon add enough salty flavour to this dish
- To minimise the number of pans you use, I advise using a large pan to cook the pasta and then adding the vegetables to this pan for the last 4 minutes of the pasta cooking time. If you do not have a pan large enough, simply boil the vegetables in a separate pan.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
578kcal
(29%)
Carbohydrates
51g
(17%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
31g
(48%)
Saturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
Trans Fat
0.3g
Cholesterol
73mg
(24%)
Sodium
548mg
(23%)
Potassium
583mg
(17%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
816IU
(16%)
Vitamin C
57mg
(63%)
Calcium
379mg
(38%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 578 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 578kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 548mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 583mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 816IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 57mg | 63% |
| Calcium | 379mg | 38% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
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