Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

cauliflower-mac-cheese-jon-besh-relish
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  • Yield: 8 servings

Be sure to add the cheese to the sauce at the last minute and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. If you continue to cook the sauce after adding the cheese, the fats will separate from the proteins and the cheese will become gritty.

Ingredients

1pound penne pasta
4tablespoons butter
1/4cup all-purpose flour
1quart 2-percent reduced-fat milk
1pinch nutmeg
1/2teaspoon salt
-- Freshly ground black pepper
1cup fresh rictotta cheese
1/3cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4cup shredded white Cheddar cheese
1cup cooked cauliflower

Instructions

  1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta 12 minutes, uncovered, then drain in a colander.
  2. Preheat oven to 375F.
  3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute, then stir in milk and bring to a boil. Keep stirring and when sauce is well mixed, reduce heat to simmer. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  4. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese. Add pasta and toss well, then stir in Swiss cheese and half the Cheddar.
  5. Scatter cauliflower in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and spoon pasta and cheesy sauce on top. Smooth top with a spatula and sprinkle on remaining Cheddar. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is nicely browned.
 
Reprinted with permission from John Besh’s My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012). 

Nutritional Info *per serving

  • Calories 457
  • Fat 18g
  • Cholesterol 56mg
  • Sodium 350mg
  • Carbohydrate 53g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Protein 20g