Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Bake
Creamy Cauliflower with Spinach Pasta Bake served alongside Winter Citrus & Baby Green Salad.During the winter months, the two things I crave most are sunshine and cozy fires. This meal was inspired by those cravings to deliver a wonderful balance between the bright fresh flavours in the salad, and a ‘warm hug’ from the comforting baked pasta.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 large Earthbound Farms Organic Cauliflower 2+lbs/900g, cut into medium florets. (Alternatively, 27oz/765g, Earthbound Farms Organic Cauliflower Florets - 3 bags)
- 3 small yellow potatoes peeled & cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1.1 pounds 500g penne pasta
- 10 oz 300ml 2% milk
- 10 oz 300ml mushroom stock
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 14 oz 400g button mushrooms, halved
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves picked
- 1 teaspoon hot chilli flakes
- 5 oz 142g container of Earthbound Farms Organic Spinach+Bok Choy (or Spinach+Kale)
Toppings
- 6 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- 60 g parmesan cheese grated
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves picked
Instructions
Boil the Cauliflower and Potatoes
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and potato cubes. Return to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes until the cauliflower and potatoes are soft. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the cauliflower & potatoes from the water and place into a full-size blender.
Boil Pasta
- Using the same pot and water, add the pasta and bring back up to a boil (adding more water if required). Lower the heat to simmer and cook the pasta for ⅔ of the package recommended time (do not cook fully). Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water. Strain and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
Finish off Cauliflower Sauce
- While the pasta cooks, carefully place the lid on the blender and blend until cauliflower & potatoes are mostly smooth.
- Combine the milk and stock together in a saucepan or microwaveable container and warm through.
- In the drained pasta pot, add the olive oil, along with the flour. Stir over a medium heat until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour the warmed liquid, ½ cup at a time, into the flour paste in the pot, stir until smooth before adding the next portion of liquid. Once all the liquid has been added, simmer over medium-low heat for 2 minutes (mixture will remain relatively thin, not saucy).
- Pour the hot contents of the pot into the blender with the cauliflower mixture and add the Dijon mustard. Ensure the lid stays on and blend until silky, smooth, and thick. (You may need to do this in batches if your blender is not large enough.) Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Preheat Oven
- Preheat the oven to 335°F convect bake (350°F regular bake).
Sauté the Mushrooms & Wilt the Spinach
- In a 5 quart (12 inch) ovenproof skillet or sauté pan, heat the butter over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to shrink and release liquid (about 5 minutes). Next add the garlic, thyme, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt to the frying pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute. Add the Spinach+Bok Choy to the pan, cover with a lid and steam for 3-5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Remove from the heat.
Combine Sauce, Pasta, Mushrooms and Greens
- Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Add the sauce and stir to fully combine sauce, pasta, mushrooms & greens.
Add the Toppings and Bake
- Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pasta. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is gently bubbling and the topping is slightly browned.
- If desired, turn on the broiler for the last 3 or 4 minutes for a crispier top. Watch carefully, so that it does not burn.
Serve and Enjoy
- Serve with a Winter Citrus & Baby Green Salad, divide between bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!