Vegetarian

Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheesy Bake

Rich, madly cheesy and the perfect bake on a cold day. Serve on its own with lots of black pepper, and maybe a salad, or as a side with roast chicken

15 minutes prep, 45 minutes cook

Serves 6 as a side, or 4 as a main course

Ingredients

Olive oil, for greasing

900ml milk

50g unsalted butter

3 tbsps plain flour

2 tsps English mustard

100g mature Cheddar, grated

50g Stilton, grated

50g Pecorino romano, finely grated

200g dried farfalle

300g mixture of cauliflower and broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Oil a 30 x 20cm baking dish. Put the milk in a saucepan, place on a low heat, bring to a simmer, then take off the heat.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on a low heat, then stir in the flour and mustard for a minute until bubbling.

A ladleful at a time, add the warm milk to the pan, stirring for about 5–10 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in most of each of the cheeses, season to taste and take off the heat.

Cook the farfalle in a large pan of boiling, salted water for half the cooking time stated on the packet, adding the cauliflower and broccoli for the final 3 minutes, then drain.

Tip the pasta and vegetables into the sauce, stir together and spoon into the oiled baking dish. Scatter with the remaining cheeses and a grind of pepper, then bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Rich, madly cheesy and the perfect bake on a cold day. Serve on its own with lots of black pepper, and maybe a salad, or as a side with roast chicken.