cauli mac & cheese

cauli mac & cheese

The idea to use cauliflower puree as the base for the cheesy sauce came from Heston Blumenthal of all people. If you’re feeding little ones who probably wouldn’t like the idea of veggies in their ‘mac & cheese’ just keep it between you and me.. oh and skip the whole cauli florettes.

per person:
1/4 small cauliflower
1/2 cup milk
75g (3oz) short pasta
100g (4oz) cheese, grated or crumbled

1. Chop cauli into florettes and slice the stalks. Keep about 1/3 of the best looking florettes aside. Place the ugly-duckling florettes in a small saucepan with the milk.

2. Bring cauli to the boil and simmer on a medium low heat, partially covered for 15 minutes or until soft.

3. Meanwhile boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Preheat your overhead grill (broiler).

4. Puree the cauli and milk. Add most of the cheese to the sauce, keeping some aside to sprinkle over the top.

5. Add drained pasta and reserved raw cauli to the sauce and stir until well combined.

6. Transfer to a greased heatproof container. Grill for about 5 minutes or until deeply golden and bubbling.

variations

veggie-free – Use the milk to make a bechemel sauce and skip the whole cauliflower simmering thing.

cheese – I used a combo of blue cheese and guryere. Melting cheeses like guryere or cheddar are my preference. A little parmesan for flavour doesn’t go astray. Taleggio is good too.

pasta – macaroni is traditional but any short pasta is good. I used casereccia which has a groove down the side to hold lots of sauce. Penne or rigatoni would be great as well.

dairy/free -tough one. Skip the cheese and double the cauliflower. Use dairy-free milk to simmer the cauliflower. Sprinkle over bread crumbs and drizzle with lots of extra virgin olive oil before grilling.

gluten-free / slow carb – replace cooked pasta with canned beans. About 1/2 can per person should do it. Butter beans are delish as are cannellini.

different veg – cauli has such an affinity for cheese, it’s pretty hard to top. Broccoli would be a good alternative (although more obvious as a vegetable!) Root veg like parsnip or celeriac would also work. Skip leaving some of them raw and you’ll need to simmer for longer to get them tender. Prob 30 minutes or so.

optional extras – chilli flakes or powder, a tiny pinch of curry powder, nut such as pine nuts, seeded mustard, creamy french mustard, bread crumbs, cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, splash of guinness, worcestershire sauce.

higher protein – flake a small can of tuna into the sauce or serve with a fried egg on top.

porky – consider adding a handful of crispy chopped bacon or slices of chorizo in with the cheese. Or drape with prosciutto before grilling.

leftover potential?

Great! Reheats well and I’m quite partial to it straight out of the fridge.

problem solving guide

cauli boiling over / burning – simmering in milk does have the risk of boiling over. Keep one eye on the pot and reduce heat if it simmers too much.

watery – if you’re finding the sauce too watery, next time simmer without the lid on or use a larger saucepan. For now more cheese will help or stir in a handful or two of soft bread crumbs.

dry / grainy texture – this is a sign of the cheese being overcooked. To disguise, just sprinkle with extra grated parmesan. And next time you might like to sieve the cauli puree before adding the cheese.

too bland – add some parmesan! And make sure the grilling give a deep golden brown colour to enhance the cheesy flavour. Next time try different types of cheese.

serving suggestions

Die hard cheese fans might like to serve with more cheese on the side. I like a simple green salad.

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