A creamy, cheesy cauliflower sauce pasta bake, with mushrooms, plant based bacon and peas. The perfect winter warmer.
This is real comfort food and a perfect winter warmer. This recipe is a great way to add in secret veggies thanks to the cauliflower sauce.
The sauce is made up from cauliflower, potato, flour, milk and cheese. Making the perfect thick sauce to coat your pasta bake. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and fibre so a great addition to this dish.
I’ve added in some plant based bacon, it seemed the perfect combo and added a great texture and saltiness. I used Vivera plant based bacon pieces from Tesco on this occasion. I also added some frozen peas for extra protein and fibre, theyre always in my freezer and are great to add into dishes like this. You could also try, sweetcorn or spinach!
Finally the cheesy topping, is a pasta bake a pasta bake without a seriously cheesy topping? I opted for some cheddar cheese on this, put mozzarella would be great here too, the more the better I say 🙂
I’d love to hear your feedback and comments about this recipe. Please do let me know if you give this try.
Creamy Cauliflower, Mushroom & Pea Pasta Bake
Course: Mains, Vegan, vegetarianDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes20
minutes439
kcalA creamy, cheesy cauliflower sauce pasta bake, with mushrooms, plant based bacon and peas. The perfect winter warmer.
Ingredients
1 cauliflower head, chopped into florets
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
300g tricolore trottole pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
30g plain flour
200ml semi skimmed milk*
200ml vegetable stock made up with 1 stock cube
100g facon (I used Vivera plant bacon pieces)
200g chestnut mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
180g frozen petit pois
100g cheddar cheese, grated*
Directions
- Add the cauliflower and potato to a pan of boiling water. Simmer – leave to cook for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower and potato are soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cauliflower and potato from the water and set aside for later. Add the pasta to the same saucepan of water, bring to the boil and cook for 5-8 minutes until the pasta is aldente, then drain and set aside for later.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Combine the milk and stock together then gradually pour into the saucepan, whisking at the same time to remove any lumps. Finally add in half the cheese if using and stir through to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the cooked cauliflower and potato. Use a stick blender to blend the into a thick sauce, then set aside for later.
- Preheat the oven to 180°c.
- Spray a separate pan with oil spray and place on a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and plant bacon pieces if using and let them cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have released their liquid. Add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt to the pan, turn the heat down, add the peas, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until defrosted.
- Tip this mixture into the sauce, along with cooked pasta and stir everything together.
- Spoon into a suitable baking dish and top with the remaining grated cheese. Place in the centre of the oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Notes
- Semi-skimmed milk can be substituted for oat milk.
- Cheddar cheese can be substituted for a vegan alternative.
- Per serving Kcal 439 Fat 16.6g Carbs 46.6g Protein 23.3g