This delicious Jamie Oliver’s Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne is a creamy, comforting pasta dish perfect for a family meal. Packed with tender leeks, cauliflower, and a cheesy white sauce, it’s topped with a crispy anchovy crumb for extra flavor. Easy to customize with store-bought lasagne sheets or fresh ingredients, it’s both hearty and nutritious!
Ingredients Needed
- 4 large leeks (white part only)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
- ½ fresh red chilli, finely sliced
- ½ bunch (15g / ½ oz) fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- 1 cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1 romanesco cauliflower, broken into florets
- 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine
- 1 small knob unsalted butter
White Sauce:
- 2 litres (8 cups) whole milk
- 1 bunch (20g / ¾ oz) mixed herbs, such as rosemary, sage, bay, thyme
- 75g plain flour (⅔ cup), plus extra for dusting
- 75g butter (5 tbsp)
- 150g (1½ cups) Cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for topping
- 150g (1½ cups) Lancashire cheese, grated
- 30g (¼ cup) blue cheese, crumbled
Pasta
- 500g (4 cups) Tipo ‘00’ flour
- 5 free-range eggs
Anchovy Crumb:
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
- 100g (2 cups) stale bread, torn into pieces
- 8 anchovies in oil
How To Make Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne
- Make the pasta dough: Place 500g (4 cups) of flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the center, crack in 5 eggs, and beat with a fork. Gradually mix the eggs with the flour until combined. Knead for 3–4 minutes until smooth, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables: Trim, wash, and slice the leeks. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole pan over medium-high heat, then adds garlic, chilli, and most of the thyme leaves. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 10–15 minutes.
- Cook the cauliflower: Add cauliflower and romanesco stalks, white wine, and a small knob of butter to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the florets, leaves, and 300ml (1¼ cups) water, cover, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Make the white sauce: Heat 2 liters (8 cups) of milk with the tied bunch of mixed herbs. Rub together 75g (⅔ cup) flour and 75g (5 tbsp) butter, then whisk into the milk after removing the herbs. Stir until thickened, then mix in 150g (1½ cups) Cheddar, 150g (1½ cups) Lancashire, and 30g (¼ cup) blue cheese.
- Make the anchovy crumb: Blend rosemary leaves, stale bread, and anchovies until fine breadcrumbs form.
- Roll out the pasta: Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and progressing to the narrowest until the sheets are 2mm thick. Dust with flour as needed.
- Assemble the lasagne: Preheat oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Line a 25x35cm (10×14-inch) baking dish with 2 long pasta sheets, leaving excess hanging over the edges. Layer with vegetables, 4 spoonfuls of white sauce, a crumbling of blue cheese, and pasta. Repeat layers, fold over the excess pasta, top with remaining white sauce, grated Cheddar, and anchovy crumb.
- Bake the lasagne: Place in the bottom of the oven and bake for 1–1 hour 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Skip the Anchovy Crumb: The crispy topping adds a burst of flavor and texture, so take the time to blend the breadcrumbs, rosemary, and anchovies properly.
- Make a Smooth White Sauce: Whisk the flour and butter mixture into the milk gradually to avoid lumps. Cook it long enough to thicken but not so long that it sticks to the pan.
- Roll Pasta Thinly: If making homemade pasta, roll it as thin as possible (around 2mm thick). This ensures the lasagne layers cook evenly and remain light.
- Bake on the Bottom Shelf: Placing the dish on the oven’s bottom shelf helps the lasagne cook evenly, making the base tender and the top golden and bubbly.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with cling film or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the lasagne to cool completely before wrapping it tightly in foil or placing it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Place the lasagne in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for 20-30 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 255g)
- Calories: 718
- Total Fat: 35.8g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Total Carbohydrate: 66.2g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Sugars: 15.6g
- Protein: 32.2g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Vegan lentil ‘Bolognese’
- Jamie Oliver Chicken And Mushroom Pasta Bake
- Jamie Oliver Lemon Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Mediterranean-Style Herring Pasta
Jamie Oliver Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne
Description
This delicious Jamie Oliver’s Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne is a creamy, comforting pasta dish perfect for a family meal. Packed with tender leeks, cauliflower, and a cheesy white sauce, it’s topped with a crispy anchovy crumb for extra flavor. Easy to customize with store-bought lasagne sheets or fresh ingredients, it’s both hearty and nutritious!
Ingredients
White Sauce:
Pasta:
Anchovy Crumb:
Instructions
- Make the pasta dough: Place 500g (4 cups) of flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the center, crack in 5 eggs, and beat with a fork. Gradually mix the eggs with the flour until combined. Knead for 3–4 minutes until smooth, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables: Trim, wash, and slice the leeks. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole pan over medium-high heat, then adds garlic, chilli, and most of the thyme leaves. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 10–15 minutes.
- Cook the cauliflower: Add cauliflower and romanesco stalks, white wine, and a small knob of butter to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the florets, leaves, and 300ml (1¼ cups) water, cover, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Make the white sauce: Heat 2 liters (8 cups) of milk with the tied bunch of mixed herbs. Rub together 75g (⅔ cup) flour and 75g (5 tbsp) butter, then whisk into the milk after removing the herbs. Stir until thickened, then mix in 150g (1½ cups) Cheddar, 150g (1½ cups) Lancashire, and 30g (¼ cup) blue cheese.
- Make the anchovy crumb: Blend rosemary leaves, stale bread, and anchovies until fine breadcrumbs form.
- Roll out the pasta: Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and progressing to the narrowest until the sheets are 2mm thick. Dust with flour as needed.
- Assemble the lasagne: Preheat oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Line a 25x35cm (10×14-inch) baking dish with 2 long pasta sheets, leaving excess hanging over the edges. Layer with vegetables, 4 spoonfuls of white sauce, a crumbling of blue cheese, and pasta. Repeat layers, fold over the excess pasta, top with remaining white sauce, grated Cheddar, and anchovy crumb.
- Bake the lasagne: Place in the bottom of the oven and bake for 1–1 hour 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Anchovy Crumb: The crispy topping adds a burst of flavor and texture, so take the time to blend the breadcrumbs, rosemary, and anchovies properly.
- Make a Smooth White Sauce: Whisk the flour and butter mixture into the milk gradually to avoid lumps. Cook it long enough to thicken but not so long that it sticks to the pan.
- Roll Pasta Thinly: If making homemade pasta, roll it as thin as possible (around 2mm thick). This ensures the lasagne layers cook evenly and remain light.
- Bake on the Bottom Shelf: Placing the dish on the oven’s bottom shelf helps the lasagne cook evenly, making the base tender and the top golden and bubbly.
Jamie Oliver Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne