Cauliflower, Hazelnut and Blue Cheese Pasta Bake

Ingredients

250g penne pasta

½ onion, finely chopped

50g Westgold Salted Butter

50g flour

1 ½ -2 c milk, hot                                             

1c vegetable stock, hot

½ c creamy blue cheese

¾ c Colby cheese, grated, plus extra for sprinkling

2 c cauliflower, small florets

1-2 tsp lemon zest

½ c hazelnuts, plus extra for sprinkling

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 ^oC. 

Toast the hazelnuts until lightly golden and tip them onto a tea towel and rub them together to remove the skins, roughly chop the hazelnuts. 

Break the blue cheese into small chunks. 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta for ¾ the manufacturer’s cooking time instructions. 

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes to soften the onion.

Stir in the flour and cook a further 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until it reaches a sandy texture. 

Add the stock in 2 lots stirring well in between. 

Add the milk ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition until it is a smooth and creamy sauce. 

Gently bring to a boil stirring constantly. 

If necessary, adjust the thickness by adding the last ½ cup of milk to get the consistency you like. Season. 

Take off the heat and stir in the Colby cheese. 

When the pasta is ¾ cooked, strain well and add to the sauce with the cauliflower florets, hazelnuts and zest.

Tip into an oven-proof dish.  Scatter over the extra Colby cheese, blue cheese chunks and extra hazelnuts. 

Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbling and golden.  Serve.