Cauliflower Cheese Spaghetti with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs

Cauliflower cheese is one of my all-time favourite dishes so when Jamie combined it with spaghetti in this glorious mash-up, I had to give it a go...

The sauce is rich and velvety coating the spaghetti to make it perfectly slurpable but the hero on this plate is the sprinkling of crispy garlic breadcrumbs - pure joy! A spin on pangrattato - affectionately known as 'poor man's Parmesan' - the breadcrumbs bring a change in texture as well as a burst of garlicky goodness! This is the perfect midweek dinner - what are you waiting for!?

Cauliflower Cheese Spaghetti with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs

Serves 4

oil (olive or rapeseed)

100g stale bread

2 cloves garlic, peeled

½ head of cauliflower (400g)

1 onion

400ml milk (I used almond but semi-skimmed is also good)

300g dried spaghetti

70g Cheddar cheese

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tear the bread into a food processor. Add the garlic, then tear in any nice leaves from your cauliflower. Add ½ a tablespoon of oil, blitz into fairly fine crumbs, then tip into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, peel the onion, then roughly chop with the cauliflower, stalk and all. Tip the crispy crumbs into a bowl, returning the pan to the heat. Pour in the milk and add the chopped onion and cauliflower, bring just to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer.

Alongside, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Just before the pasta is ready, carefully pour the cauliflower mixture into the processor, grate in the cheese, blitz until super smooth, then season to perfection with salt and pepper, and return to the pan. 

Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Toss the pasta through the sauce, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed, then serve with the crispy crumbs, for sprinkling.