Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Prepare the ingredients. Prepare all the ingredients and preheat the oven to 220 C - we will be cooking with them in a moment 🍝✨

Cook the cauliflower. Break the cauliflower into small florets and cook in boiling salted water over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, until al dente

Drain the cauliflower. Drain the cauliflower and set aside

Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions over medium heat until al dente, drain, and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water

Prepare the bechamel. In a pan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour and briefly saute for about 1-2 minutes, then gradually pour in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens

Thicken the sauce. Keep stirring until the sauce is beautifully creamy. Turn off the heat

Add the cheese and season. Add the nutmeg and 2/3 of the grated cheese to the bechamel, stir, let it melt, and season with salt and pepper, optionally add mustard or thyme

Combine the pasta and cauliflower. Add the pasta and cauliflower to the sauce, mix, and optionally add a little pasta water for a better consistency

Bake in the oven. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 220 C for about 10 minutes until golden brown

Serve. Serve 🍝🍽️✨