A Frenchman's Mac and Cheese - Serving Dumplings

Ingredients

• 500 g short cut pasta
• 500 g scorzonera or 1 cauliflower
• 300 g salted bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 60 g butter + 1 tbsp
• 30 g flour
• 800 ml milk
• 200 g grated Beaufort cheese
• 200 g grated Abondance cheese
• 200 g Reblochon
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• lemon juice
• salt + black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• leaves from 2 springs of thyme