Cauliflower casserole: A nutritious twist on classic comfort food
After the holiday cooking, take a moment to rest. Instead of a traditional dinner, prepare a quick casserole in the oven. It's similar to mac & cheese but includes delicious cauliflower florets, making it both nutritious and vegetarian.
As you prepare the casserole, you can cook the cauliflower along with the pasta. This is a quick way to soften the florets before placing them in the oven. However, if you're concerned about overcooking, you can prepare them in a separate pot or steam them. Blanch the florets under cold running water after cooking to make the cauliflower crunchier.
Blanching cauliflower
Blanching is a process that helps retain the vibrant color and crunchiness of vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli. This method stops the cooking process, helping maintain the desired firmness of the vegetables. Other vegetables, such as green beans or spinach, can also be blanched. In this form, they are better suited for salads or as an addition to main dishes.
Boiled cauliflower and its nutritional benefits
Some vegetables, such as carrots or beets, become more nutritious after cooking due to the release of carotenoids. However, cauliflower, although very tasty when cooked, is also worth eating raw as it provides significantly more vitamin C in its raw state.
A great advantage of cauliflower is its versatility. It works wonderfully in the kitchen both as an ingredient in hot dishes, such as cream soup, and as a base for salads. Moreover, cauliflower can be an alternative to rice when cut into smaller pieces and gently baked.
Recipe for cauliflower casserole
The following ingredients will prepare a serving for 4 people.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of pasta, such as shells or penne
- Half a cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons (about 1 oz) of butter
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups (about 10 oz) of milk
- 3½ ounces of grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère, or Brie)
- A pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of mustard and 3 tablespoons of pine nuts or almond flakes
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.
- Add the cauliflower broken into florets three minutes before the end of cooking. Drain the cooked ingredients and transfer them to an ovenproof dish.
- Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour, and mix to prepare the base for the béchamel sauce. Stirring constantly, gradually pour in the milk. If you wish, you can add mustard at this point.
- Add the grated cheese and a pinch of salt. Stir until you achieve a smooth sauce consistency.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and pasta in the ovenproof dish. Place in an oven preheated to 400°F and bake for about 15 minutes. Halfway through baking, you can add pine nuts or almond flakes.
