“Fads come and go, but ultimately all you need to know is that if your child is eating a variety of wholefoods, cooked from scratch, you’ll be giving them the best possible start nutritionally.”
Louise Keats
Ingredients
60 g Parmesan cheese, cut into pieces (2-3 cm), plus extra shaved to serve (optional)
60 g vintage cheddar cheese, cut into pieces (2-3 cm)
1000 g water
150 g dried macaroni pasta
240 g cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
30 g butter, cut into pieces
40 g plain flour
250 g milk of choice
pinch sea salt, to taste (optional)
pinch ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Useful items: Thermal serving bowl or other large bowl, ramekins (8 cm, 250 ml), baking tray, bowl
Method
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Place cheeses into Thermomix mixing bowl and grate 6 sec/speed 5. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
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Place water into mixing bowl and heat 8 min/100°C/speed 2.
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Add pasta into mixing bowl. Insert simmering basket and weigh cauliflower into it, then cook 10 min/100°C//speed 1 or until pasta and cauliflower are tender.
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Carefully remove simmering basket with aid of spatula and set aside. Drain pasta, then transfer into a thermal serving bowl or other large bowl. Stir oil through pasta, then cover to keep warm. Dry mixing bowl.
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Preheat oven to 220°C. Place butter and flour into mixing bowl and cook 5 min/90°C/speed 1
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Add milk and reserved grated cheeses, then cook 7 min/90°C/speed 3.
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Add reserved cauliflower and blend 40 sec/speed 7. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
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Add reserved pasta and combine 8 sec/speed 3. For older children and adults, add a pinch of sea salt (optional) and ground black pepper (optional).
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Divide between 5 x 250 ml capacity ramekins. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes (220°C) or until golden on top. Set aside to cool slightly, then garnish with shaved Parmesan (optional) just before serving.