! I recently picked one up to see what kind of dish I could whip up with it. Inspired by my orange cauliflower’s cheesy aura, I decided to incorporate it into a cheese sauce for a nutritious spin on the childhood classic, mac and cheese. But don’t be fooled– with flavors of garlic, Asiago cheese and white wine, this dish is very “adult” (and might appear even more elegant should you only have a white cauliflower on hand…)
8 oz. small pasta, such as macaroni or shells1 medium head orange cauliflower2 tbsp. olive oil4 cloves garlic, minced1/2 cup dry white wine1/2 tsp. salt3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs1 small bunch scallions, finely chopped
What to do:
Preheat oven to 400F.Cook pasta according to package directions minus one minute to achieve al dente texture. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Fully submerge cauliflower and cook 8-10 minutes, until fork-tender.Drain cauliflower, reserving cooking water. Transfer cooked cauliflower to a food processor or blender. Add 1 cup cooking water. Blend until smooth.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute.Transfer cauliflower puree to the saucepan. Add wine and salt, cook 1-2 minutes.Add ½ cup of the Asiago cheese a little at a time, stirring frequently, until all the cheese is incorporated. Add additional cooking water to sauce to achieve desired consistency.Transfer sauce to bowl containing the cooked pasta. Reserve excess sauce if necessary. Stir in the chopped scallions, reserving some for garnish if desired. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 9 in baking dish.Top pasta mixture with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until topping becomes golden. Top with remaining scallions and serve.
