HIDDEN VEGGIES | EGG FREE | KIDS FRIENDLY | SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (250 grams) uncooked pasta (macaroni, penne, fusilli etc) *
400 grams cauliflower
1 cup (250 grams) zucchini
2 tbsp (30 grams) butter or preferred oil
2 tablespoon plain flour*
1 medium onion finely diced
2 rashers of streaky bacon finely diced
250 ml milk 1 cup
125 g grated cheese 1 cup
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the pasta as per the packet directions, drain and set aside
Roughly chop the cauliflower, peel the courgette/zucchini, roughly chop and steam with the cauliflower until tender
While the cauliflower is cooking start on the white sauce.
Heat butter/oil in a saucepan
Add onion and bacon and sauté until onion softened and translucent
Add the flour and cook for around 2 minutes whilst stirring
Gradually add the milk (I find if you preheat the milk first, which you can do in the microwave, you will get a smoother sauce and the sauce will thicken much more quickly)
Bring the sauce just to the boil then reduce the heat. At this point you should have quite a thick but smooth sauce
Stir in ¾ cups of the grated cheese, it should melt through the sauce, remove from heat
Once the cauliflower and courgette is tender, drain, then puree. I usually use a whizz stick/stick blender. You will end up with around 2 cups of vegetable puree,
Stir the vegetable puree into your cheese your sauce
Combine your sauce with the pasta
Then pour the pasta and sauce mixture into a greased oven proof dish. You can top with the remaining grated cheese
Bake for around 20 minutes at 180ºC, until the cheese on top is melted, bubbling and golden
Serve
*If you want to make the recipe gluten-free, substitute the pasta with gluten-free pasta and use plain gluten-free flour for the white sauce.
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