Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- pinch chili flakes (optional)
- pinch salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- a bay leaf
- one head cauliflower, roughly chopped bite sized
- 160g rotini
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
Directions
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Place a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. In the meantime melt the butter over medium low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and chill flakes if desired and cook until nice and soft. Stir in the flour and allow to cook, stirring regularly for 3 minutes.
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Turn up the heat to medium and slowly add in the milk half a cup at a time. Once the milk and flour are combined (stir, stir, stir!) add more milk until it is all combined. Bring to a simmer, and add in a healthy pinch of salt and pepper as well as the bay leaf. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn’t scald at the bottom. Add in the cauliflower, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium low, or until it is very gently simmering when covered. Cook for 10 minutes, stir and check regularly, when the cauliflower is soft it is time to cook your pasta.
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Salt the pasta water and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In the meantime reduce the heat on the sauce to low and stir in the cheese, 1/2 cup at a time. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Remove the bay leaf. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve.