Vegetarian Pasta Bake with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

I'm obsessed with this hearty vegetarian pasta bake. It's just as comforting as mac and cheese, only healthier! I mix wholegrain pasta with a homemade creamy, cheesy puréed cauliflower sauce, and bake it until golden and bubbling. Top the baked pasta with parmesan and breadcrumbs for an irresistibly crispy top!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Cauliflower Pasta Bake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 366kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower rinsed, cored, and cut into chunks
12 ounces whole wheat pasta shapes
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese or other strong cheese
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
fine grain sea salt to taste
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Panko bread crumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and salt it generously. This is the water you’ll cook both the cauliflower and the pasta in, so don’t toss it out between uses!
Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook until it is very tender, about 15 minutes.
1 medium cauliflower
Remove the cauliflower from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place into a blender or food processor.
Add the pasta to the boiling water (top up the water if necessary) and cook until it’s about half way done (it’ll finish cooking in the oven).
12 ounces whole wheat pasta shapes
Drain the pasta and place into the prepared baking dish.
Blend the cooked cauliflower with 2 cups of vegetable stock (reserve ½ cup), olive oil, shredded cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and some freshly cracked black pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add the remaining ½ cup of vegetable stock.
2 ½ cups vegetable broth, 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
fine grain sea salt
Pour the sauce over the pasta. It may seem like a LOT of sauce, but it will thicken as it cooks and the pasta will absorb some as well.
Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ½ cup Panko bread crumbs.
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the pasta is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Serve hot.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Choose a good cheese. Since we're cutting the amount of cheese pretty dramatically from a traditional mac and cheese recipe, choosing a nice sharp cheddar with a lot of flavour will go a long way.
It may look like a LOT of sauce. This is correct. The pasta will soak up quite a lot of it while baking, and the dish will end up too dry if you don't use it all.
Make sure the sauce is well-seasoned! The sauce is what's bringing the flavour to this dish, so be sure to take the time to taste it and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Want to make this recipe ahead of time? The cauliflower cheese sauce can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. You can also fully assemble the Cheesy Cauliflower Bake and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Just add about 10 minutes to the baking time if you're starting from a cold dish.
Want to make this recipe gluten-free? Just substitute your favourite gluten-free pasta and breadcrumbs.
Want to make this recipe vegan? Since this recipe doesn't call for a lot of cheese, you might try your favourite vegan shredded cheese product in place of the cheddar.

Nutrition