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Cauliflower, pancetta and taleggio bake

Name: Cauliflower, pancetta and taleggio bake
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 20g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease; 100g pancetta, chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 tbsp plain flour; 200ml dry white wine; 650ml semi-skimmed/whole milk; 100g taleggio, rind removed and discarded, chopped; Bunch fresh parsley, chopped; 300g macaroni; ¼ cauliflower or broccoli head, cut into florets (or see tips); 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan; 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs; You’ll also need…; 1.5 litre baking dish, greased with butter

Published: 19 Feb 18
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Use up your leftover veg in this cauliflower macaroni cheese recipe with a crispy breadcrumb topping. You could easily use broccoli instead of cauliflower or swap the taleggio for cheddar or gruyère if you prefer.

Easy
January 2018

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min, oven time 20-25 min

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 718kcals
Fat: 25.4g (13.2g saturated)
Protein: 30.5g
Carbohydrates: 79.9g (12.4g sugars)
Fibre: 5.6g
Salt: 1.9g

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Ingredients

20g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
100g pancetta, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
200ml dry white wine
650ml semi-skimmed/whole milk
100g taleggio, rind removed and discarded, chopped
Bunch fresh parsley, chopped
300g macaroni
¼ cauliflower or broccoli head, cut into florets (or see tips)
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan
2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

You’ll also need…

1.5 litre baking dish, greased with butter

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Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then cook the pancetta and onion, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the pancetta begins to crisp and the onion softens.
Mix in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then gradually add the wine and bubble for 3-4 minutes until reduced by half. Pour in the milk and cook, still stirring, for a few minutes until slightly thickened, then add the taleggio and stir for another minute or so until it melts. Season, then stir in the parsley.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the cauliflower or broccoli for the final 3 minutes’ cooking time.

Drain, then stir the pasta and veg into the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and top with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

Recipe from January 2018 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 718kcals
Fat: 25.4g (13.2g saturated)
Protein: 30.5g
Carbohydrates: 79.9g (12.4g sugars)
Fibre: 5.6g
Salt: 1.9g

delicious. tips

This dish is a good one for using leftover cooked veg from Sunday’s roast. Add to the sauce with the pasta in step 4. It also works well with cheddar or gruyère if you can’t find taleggio.