Pasta with cauliflower and crumb gratin in bundt mold

The author of Sabores y Momentos , Patricia, surprises us today with a recipe that is ideal for everyday life but presented in the most original way! I would have liked to see the children's faces when they saw that on the table, at mealtime, there was a cake mold instead of the traditional dish. I can imagine them saying "But mom, this mold is for cakes!".

Well yes, bundt cake molds are for cakes... but why not give them other uses? They are molds that can go in the oven, so they can be used to gratin or finish any recipe; and they would also be ideal for giving a super-original shape to cold salads, for example, because served in the form of bundts, they could give a very original touch to the table this summer.

The recipe has been made in the new Nordic Ware Square Bundt mold , which we like so much, and to which we welcome you with this recipe!

Today I bring you a very simple recipe, with seasonal vegetables, a creamy and smooth sauce…. And some simple breadcrumbs with bacon gratin that will delight young and old alike! And it could not be more true: I have enjoyed it, but it has been a great pleasure to see how well the children ate the cauliflower, which was so hidden between the very white of the sauce and the pasta.

But perhaps it is not the recipe that will attract your attention the most, but the container where I have gratinated and served it! What do you think? Well look, the NordicWare bundt molds not only serve us to make incredible cakes and cakes but, if necessary, we can surprise our own, especially the little ones in the house, with a wonderful complete pasta dish and very nutritious, but with that funny wink that will give a lot of play at the table!!!

To give the point to the boiled pasta with cauliflower, nothing better than in the beautiful cast-iron cocotte that, over low heat, will give us that touch that together with the creaminess of the sauce will be a caress on the palate. The crumb gratin is the salty and crunchy point that simply makes it irresistible!

The recipe is inspired by one from Jamie Oliver's book , and as he says, it is a recipe to enjoy and share.

In the photo, presentation of the ingredients in the round Le Creuset cast iron cocotte , and Pallarès carbon iron kitchen knife

Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower
• 400g of pasta (macaroni, shark, spiral… to taste)
• 180g freshly grated mature Cheddar cheese.
• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 slices of bread (country, farmhouse or farmhouse)
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 small garlic clove
• 200ml cooking cream (or crème fraîche)
• Grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Elaboration

Preheat the oven to 200º.

In a cocotte-type pot with boiling water, salt and a drizzle of olive oil, cook the cauliflower cut into small florets together with the pasta following the cooking time indicated by the manufacturer over medium heat with the lid ajar.

Meanwhile, we are going to toast the bacon in a pan or skillet without oil, until it is golden but not crunchy, because remember that we are going to chop it together with the bread and we want the crispy touch to be provided by the gratin. If you prefer, you can take advantage of the heat of the oven to toast it there on a tray with baking paper. Once ready, we put the bacon together with the bread, the rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil, in the kitchen robot with the chopping blade. Chop until it has the consistency of very finely chopped crumbs and reserve.

We prepare a large bowl where we drain the pasta with the cauliflower, being careful not to lose that liquid, which we will use later for the cream.

In the same pot or cocotte used previously, pour about 300ml of the pasta boiling liquid, the crushed garlic clove, the cream and the grated Cheddar cheese (for grating, I definitely recommend the Microplane Zester grater , there isn't one the same!), all over medium heat. Let's stir a couple of minutes and then add the pasta and cauliflower stirring gently. If we see it necessary, we can add a little more liquid to give it a loose and juicy texture. Season to taste and pour into the Bundt mold (or, failing that, in the ovenproof dish where we are going to gratin), distributing evenly. We now cover with the crumb and go directly into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, or until we see that the cream bubbles and the crumbs begin to brown with a crunchy texture.

We take it out of the oven and directly to the table to enjoy it with the family!

GRADES:

- Remember to use wooden serving spoons (or silicone ones) so as not to scratch the mold.

- For baking, I would normally recommend other types of molds , but I think it's great to give bundts versatility, especially when we talk about using them, as in this case, to present a pasta recipe that we only had to gratin on the table.