Chorizo, Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This one is genuinely one of our all-time favourites and we make it on repeat. Mac and cheese is already a comfort food hall-of-famer, but throwing in smoky vegan chorizo and roasted cauliflower takes it somewhere really special. You get this incredible combo of creamy, cheesy sauce clinging to every bit of pasta, crispy cauli florets, and big bold smoky flavour running through the whole thing. It comes together in about 25 minutes, which honestly still surprises us every time. Make it tonight, you will not regret it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C fan
- Roasting tray
- Large roasting tray for final bake
- Large pot for pasta
- Frying pan
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves
- 220g chorizo burger
- 250ml oat milk
- 250g plant-based cheese grated
- 40g plant-based butter
- 40g plain flour
- 250ml plant-based cream
- 10g nutritional yeast
- 60g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 250g macaroni pasta
Method
Roast the cauliflower and prepare the filling
- Using a knife break the cauliflower down into small florets
- Pop them onto a roasting tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper
- Roast them in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes
- Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic and sweat them off in a frying pan with a glug of oil and pinch of salt until starting to soften
- Crumble the burgers into the pan, sprinkle over the smoked paprika (reserving a small pinch for later) and fry for 5-6 minutes
Make the cheese sauce
- Add the butter to the pan and melt over medium heat
- Sprinkle the flour into a saucepan and stir into a ball
- Slowly pour in the oat milk and cream in batches, whisking well to combine with the flour-butter base after each addition until thick and smooth
- Add ¾ of grated plant-based cheese, nooch and salt and pepper into the pan and stir until melted
Prepare the breadcrumbs and cook the pasta
- Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves
- Tip the breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl and add the remaining grated cheese, the remaining pinch of smoked paprika, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper
- Pour the pasta into a large pot of salted boiling water and cook over high heat for 8-9 minutes
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C, fan setting
Finish the dish and serve
- Add the pasta, crumbled chorizo and roasted cauliflower into the cheese sauce and stir to combine
- Tip the mix into a roasting tray
- Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, put the tray into the oven and roast for 10 minutes
- Spoon the mac and cheese into bowls and serve immediately
Tips & Variations
- Get the cauliflower properly roasted: Don't crowd the tray. Give the florets some space so they roast and go golden rather than just steam. That colour is where the flavour is.
- Make it saucier: We find this works really well with a splash of pasta water stirred into the sauce at the end. It loosens everything up and helps the sauce coat the pasta beautifully.
- Spice it up: If you like heat, a pinch of chilli flakes into the pan with the onion and garlic makes this sing. Trust us on this one, it's a great shout.
Why This Works
The trick here is roasting the cauliflower separately so it gets a little colour and caramelisation rather than just going soft and sad in the sauce. That contrast of textures is what makes this feel like a proper meal rather than just a bowl of pasta. And crumbling the chorizo burgers straight into the pan means you get these amazing crispy bits throughout, giving you smoky depth in every single bite.