Baked Pasta with Cauliflower and Sausage

Method

1. Clean 700g of cauliflower and separate into florets.
2. Boil the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain.
3. Set aside some whole florets. Mash the remaining cauliflower with a fork.
4. Remove the casing from 300g of sausage and cut the sausage into pieces.
5. Sauté 1 garlic clove in extra virgin olive oil, then add the sausage and brown it. Remove the garlic and set the sausage aside.
6. In the same pan, brown the reserved whole cauliflower florets.
7. Melt 50g of butter in a separate pot. Whisk in 60g of all-purpose flour.
8. Gradually add 750g of the cauliflower cooking water, stirring constantly. Cook until you obtain a creamy béchamel sauce.
9. Mix the béchamel with the mashed cauliflower. Reserve a little béchamel for later.
10. Season with nutmeg to taste.
11. Cook 320g of pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.
12. Drain the pasta directly into the béchamel-cauliflower mixture.
13. Add the cooked sausage and thyme to taste. Mix well.
14. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and level it.
15. Top with the reserved béchamel, the browned cauliflower florets, and 100g of smoked buffalo mozzarella.
16. Season with black pepper to taste.
17. Bake in a preheated static oven at 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes.
18. Serve immediately.