Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a simple but so tasty adaptation of the old Mac and Cheese. Adding Cauliflower as an additional element boosts the flavours of this very popular dish. Served as a main dish, it always goes down well all year whether a cold winters evening or summer lunch on the patio with a chilled wine. This is also an ideal way to use left overs. I use cheddar and parmesan for the nutty and mature flavours they bring.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

A lovely variant of the traditional recipe.

4.74 from 283 votes

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Course: Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Bread, Cheese, Pasta, Vegetables

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10 People

Calories: 335kcal

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Ingredients

 

• 1 lb. macaroni or other pasta
• 1 medium cauliflower de-core and thinly slice
• 2 oz. Parmesan grated
• 4 oz. Cheddar cheese mature / grated
• 4 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs panko
• 1/2 bunch parsley flat leaf / chop
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• salt seasoning
• ground black pepper seasoning

Instructions

• Pour a little olive oil into a 13×9 inch baking dish and using a pastry brush or your fingers cover the dish.
• Place a large pot on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic and cauliflower and a pinch of salt for seasoning.
  1 medium cauliflower, 4 cloves garlic, 1 large yellow onion, 3 tbsp. olive oil, salt
• Stir occasionally and continue to cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until tender.
• Add 4 cups water and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes until the garlic, onion and cauliflower are lovely and soft.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. 220°C
• In a large pan of salted boiling water add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
  1 lb. macaroni
• Carefully drain to pan keeping at least 2 cups of the cooking liquid for later.
• For safety sake, leave to cool for a few minutes.
• Return the vegetables to a large pan and add the cheeses, mustard powder and cayenne and mix thoroughly. Add a little of the cooking liquid to thin it slightly.
  2 oz. Parmesan, 4 oz. Cheddar cheese, 1/4 tsp. mustard powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• In sensible portions, transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until lovely and smooth.
• Add more cooking liquid if required.
• The pasta should be cooked by now, drain using a sieve and place in a large mixing bowl or you can reuse the pasta pan.
• When the mixture has been pureed, pour onto the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly.
• Once combined, transfer the pasta and sauce to the pre oiled baking dish.
• In a clean bowl, combine the chopped parsley, breadcrumbs and remining olive oil. season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix.
  1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 bunch parsley, ground black pepper, salt
• Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the pasta and place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
• Everything is already cooked so this is to get the breadcrumbs toasty and the sauce thicken. The top should be golden brown ideally.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 2mg