I'm a big cauliflower fan. I'm a bigger cheese fan. So any dish that combines the two & adds in a carb I'm there. This dish is rich and flavorful. I also like it because it includes a veggie. It's easy to make & requires simple ingredients.
Ingredients
1 small cauliflower head divided into florets
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
3 crushed garlic cloves
3 cups whole milk
1 cup shredded Asiago, Gruyere, or Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
freshly ground nutmeg
salt & pepper
4 cups uncooked tri-colored rotini
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta until al dente (about half the time required for regular cooking), rinse under cool water & set aside. Steam cauliflower florets until tender, but not mushy, about 4 minutes. In a medium sauce pan melt butter & add in flour to create a rue. Cook until bubbly & turns brown whisking constantly. Meanwhile warm up milk in microwave until luk warm. Add in garlic to the rue & stir for one minute. Add warm milk to the rue & stir occasionally until milk becomes thick & frothy. Add a dash of pepper & a dash of freshly ground nutmeg. Next slowly add in the Asiago cheese & 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Add in small bits stirring in between to make sure cheese is fully incorporated. Add salt to taste (Don't under salt! I usually add around a teaspoon, but it depends on what kind of cheese you use).
Reserve a cup of the cheese sauce. Add remaining cheese sauce to noodles & stir to coat. Pour into a baking dish. Arrange cauliflower florets on top. Pour reserved cheese mixture over the tops of the cauliflower & sprinkle remaining Parmesan & a bit of pepper over the entire dish.
Bake for 30 minutes or until bubble & lightly brown on top. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment