Cauliflower, leek, & pasta bake

When the huge cauliflower arrived in this week's box (05.05.12) I would have happily made another cauliflower cheese. But with some leeks to use from the previous week I tried a bit of an experiment, and it turned out so well I'm happy to share it!

Serves 3-4 depending on how hungry you are.

vegetarian (depending on the cheese used)

Ingredients

1/2 large cauliflower, cut into florets (approx 520g prepared weight)

5 small leeks, cut into large pieces (approx 170g prepared weight)

150g pasta

45g butter

25g plain flour

354ml milk

200g cheddar cheese, grated

salt

black pepper

Directions

  1. Bring two large pans of salted water to the boil. Put the pasta in one and cook according to the pack instructions for al dente pasta; put the cauliflower and leek in the other and simmer for 5 minutes. Once they're cooked, drain and place in a large ovenproof dish.

  2. Pre-heat the oven to gas 6

  3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another pan and then add the flour, stirring continuously to stop it becoming lumpy. Once it's smooth, add the milk, stirring continuously and allow to simmer for a minute or two. Add the cheese and once it;s melted pour the sauce over the pasta & vegetables.

  4. Season generously with black pepper and bake for 15 mins (until the top has browned). Serve immediately and enjoy!

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)

Cauliflower leek and pasta bake close-up