Directions

Cut the cauliflower into small evenly-sized florets. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the cauliflower florets. Boil for +/- 15 minutes. Strain after cooking.

For the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Add the flour and mix to a smooth paste. Add the milk and stir well. Leave to thicken on a low heat for +/- 10 minutes. Continue to stir throughout. Season, remove from the heat and add 1 egg yolk. Stir it in, and add 50 g of grated cheese. Mix until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Cut the bacon into strips and add to the béchamel.

For the gratin: Spread the cauliflower florets evenly in a gratin dish. Cover the cauliflower with the béchamel. Scatter the rest of the grated cheese and some little knobs of butter over the top. Bake for 5 minutes under a preheated grill until the surface of the dish is golden and bubbling.

Make the pesto: Grind the ingredients in a blender or mortar. Add the oil, a little at a time, and mix to a smooth sauce.

Cook the pasta: The exact ratio for perfectly-cooked pasta: 10 g of salt to 100 g of pasta and 1 litre of water. The important thing is to add salt to the water just as it breaks into a boil, and slightly lower the heat. When the salt has dissolved, drop in the pasta and turn up the heat to bring rapidly back to boiling point. Don’t cover the pan during cooking and stir the pasta every 3 minutes. For perfect pasta, all you have to do is keep to the cooking time indicated on the packet, though it’s always best to taste the pasta at the end of the cooking time, and strain it when it’s to your taste. The ideal is when the pasta is tender on the outside but still a little bit hard on the inside. This specific stage of cooking is called " al dente ".

Add the strained pasta to the pesto, mix and serve in bowls, garnished with parmesan shavings and grilled pine nuts.