It's letter W of Alphabetti, and Hugh is turning wagon wheel pasta into something very special. For us, nothing is more comforting than cauliflower cheese, and that's why it is getting upgraded to the star of the show. This one's a bit like mac n cheese, but better.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Begin with the cauliflower - remove the tough central stem and cut the rest into roughly equal sized florettes. Think about the size of the pasta and adjust the sizes of the florettes accordingly.
Spread them on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and salt. Bake for around 25 minutes or until roasted through.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan until foaming then add the flour. Cook for around 3 minutes, or until the flour has taken on some colour and smells toasted.
Incrementally add the milk, vigorously whisking between each addition. Stir in the double cream.
When you have a smooth, thick sauce, turn off the heat. Add the cheddar and saeasoning and stir to combine until you have a smooth, rich sauce.
Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, then stir that into the sauce with the roasted cauliflower.
Spoon the whole lot into an oven proof baking dish and scatter with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Bake for a further 20 minutes until golden and bubbling, then serve with chopped chives and more parmesan.
