This recipe from The Cheese Lady is a symphony of flavours and textures, combining pasta, succulent smoked lardons, and a velvety cheese sauce enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano and Gruyère. This dish promises a delightful fusion of savoury and creamy notes, making it perfect for any occasion, from cosy dinner parties to solo indulgence.
Serves 4-6
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 250-300g dry pasta (penne or fusilli)
- 500g broccoli and cauliflower
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 150g smoked lardons
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 100ml white wine
- 600ml of whole (or semi-skimmed) milk
- 30g butter
- 30g all-purpose flour
- 100g grated Parmigiano Reggiano (24 months)
- 150-200g grated Gruyère (12 months+)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Optional:
- 2 slices stale bread
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 20-30g flaked almonds
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the pack. Drain, toss with some olive oil and set aside.
- In a separate saucepan, boil medium-sized florets of cauliflower and broccoli for about 4-5 minutes (or until tender). When ready, add to the cooked pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and fry the lardons and shallots for 4-5 minutes until golden-brown. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated. When ready, add to the pasta and veg mix.
- Heat the milk (either on the stove or in the microwave). In another medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foamy. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour, stirring until a smooth roux has formed. Return the saucepan to medium heat, and begin to add the hot milk to the roux. You should add milk slowly, 100ml at a time, completely incorporating it before adding more (do not rush here as it’s crucial for creating a smooth sauce).
- After all the milk has been added, continue to whisk the sauce for another 2-3 minutes until it thickens. Then add the grated cheese (reserving some for the top), salt and pepper, and stir until the cheese has completely melted.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta, lardon and veg mixture and then pour into a gratin dish.
- Optional (but an absolute must): crumble the bread by hand (or blitz in a food processor), add thyme, almond flakes, some reserved cheese and olive oil. Mix it all together and scatter evenly over the pasta mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes (depending the strength of your oven) until golden and crunchy. When it’s ready, enjoy slowly and share with your favourite people.
To delve deeper into The Cheese Lady tune in to our podcast episode or head over to her website.
