Cheesy Roast Cauliflower Pasta
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Total: 35 mins
The meeting of two classic comfort foods, with a sophisticated twist. Nutty cauliflower is roasted in a mix of Italian herbs, crispy sage and buttery pine nuts, and folded with tender pasta shells in an extra rich cheddar cheese sauce.
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866 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 1 cauliflower
  • 1 tbsp Italian herb blend
  • 100g cheddar
  • 2 eggs
  • 200g gnochhetti pasta
  • A handful of sage, leaves only
  • 25g pine nuts
  • 1 lemon
  • 50g peppery salad mix
From your kitchen
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
You'll need
  • Baking tray
  • Large pan with lid
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Strip the leaves off the cauliflower (see our tip for what to do with them). Break the cauliflower into small florets and chop the stalk into bite-sized chunks. Tip them onto a baking tray. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp Italian herb blend and drizzle over ½ tbsp olive oil. Toss to mix, making sure the cauliflower is evenly spread out on the baking tray. Slide it into the oven to roast for 20 mins.

  • 2.

    Meanwhile, fill and boil your kettle. Pour the hot water into a large pan, topping it up if needed. Add a pinch of salt, cover and set on a high heat to come back to the boil.

  • 3.

    Coarsely grate the cheddar. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork. Add the cheddar to the eggs and stir to mix.

  • 4.

    The water in the pan should be boiling by now. Add the pasta, bring the pan back to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 8 mins till the pasta is tender but still has a little bite to it.

  • 5.

    Pick the sage leaves off their stems. When the cauliflower has roasted for 20 mins, take it out of the oven. Add the pine nuts and sage leaves to the tray, then return to the oven and roast for 5 mins till the cauliflower is charred and tender, the pine nuts are golden, and the sage leaves are crisp.

  • 6.

    Meanwhile, squeeze ½ tbsp lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Add ½ tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork to make a dressing. Add the salad leaves and toss to dress.

  • 7.

    Scoop a mugful of water out of the pasta pan (mind your fingers, or use a ladle), drain the pasta and tip it back into the pan. Add the eggy cheddar mixture with 2 tbsp of the pasta water and toss to mix. The heat from the pasta will lightly cook the eggs and create a rich, cheesy sauce. If it seems a bit dry, add a splash more pasta water.

  • 8.

    Tip the roast cauliflower, pine nuts and sage into the pasta and toss to mix. Divide between 2 warm plates or bowls and serve with the dressed salad on the side.

  • Tip

    Low waste/no waste
    You can keep the cauliflower leaves in your fridge, wrapped in kitchen paper, for a few days. They're great finely sliced and added to a stir-fry, or you can shred and sweat them in melted butter, seasoned with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.

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