Right now, our CSA is overflowing with gorgeous cauliflower, squash, leeks, and greens. Thursday night, I was craving mac and cheese, yet I was staring at a fridge full of fresh vegetables. I simply couldn’t, in good conscience, cook mac and cheese for dinner.
I considered tossing some cauliflower into a classic mac and cheese recipe, but then I remembered a cheesy cauliflower pasta recipe I once saw Jamie Oliver make. It had a toasted, garlicky bread crumb topping which had stuck with me. His version was a quick weeknight meal using frozen cauliflower and microwaved steamed leeks. I decided to use this concept: cheesy cauliflower pasta with a garlicky bread crumb topping but use all fresh ingredients and spend more time building up and layering the flavors.
This recipe takes a little more time and a few extra steps than some of my usual weeknight favorites, but oh my word, it was delicious! The local CSA cauliflower and leek melt together into a super creamy and luxurious pasta sauce. I served it with a lovely side of garlicky sautéed turnip greens with fresh chili.
First, I gathered all the ingredients:
I pulled the cauliflower and leek from our CSA box. From the pantry, I gathered bread crumbs, spaghetti, garlic, and cashews. And from the fridge, I got butter, milk, chicken stock, fresh mozzarella, and cheddar cheese.
The true star of this dish is the crunchy topping. You can make a crispy topping in several ways—buy bread crumbs, or finely chop sliced bread. I prefer to use homemade gluten-free bread crumbs because I honestly find store-bought GF versions to be terrible. I make mine in big batches whenever I have enough odds and ends of GF bread saved up in the freezer.
To make this crispy, savory topping, I start by melting the butter. Then I add the bread crumbs, finely chopped cashews, and the bright green tops of the leek, julienned into matchsticks. I season it all well with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. You toast this mixture together until it’s fragrant and nicely golden brown, being careful not to let it burn. Once done, set it aside.
For the sauce, I wanted to slowly layer the flavor of the leek and cauliflower before poaching it in milk.
First, I lightly browned the butter before adding the olive oil and sliced leek. I cooked this slowly until the leek was just starting to brown. Then I added sliced garlic and the cauliflower florets, which again I seasoned well with salt and pepper. Next I added the chicken stock and let the mixture simmer, covered, for about ten minutes to soften the cauliflower. Then, I poured in 1 cup of milk and lowered the heat to a gentle simmer.
To thicken the sauce, I mixed the second 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of GF flour in a separate small bowl until it was smooth. I added this mixture to the pan and continued to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower was tender and the sauce had thickened perfectly.
Meanwhile, I boiled the GF spaghetti until al dente.
To finish, I took the sauce off the heat, stirred in the cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and then gently mixed in the cooked pasta. I served every bowl with a generous helping of that gorgeous, crunchy topping.
This totally scratched the mac and cheese itch while giving us a weeknight meal full of veggies!
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the GF bread crumbs, chopped cashews, and julienned leek green tops. Season generously with salt, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. Toast the mixture, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Brown the 2 Tbs of butter over medium heat. Add the 2 Tbs of olive oil and the sliced leek. Season well with salt and pepper. Sauté until the leeks are softened. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the 4 cups of cauliflower and 1.5 cups of broth. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of milk and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. In a separate small bowl, mix the second 1 cup of milk with the 2 Tbs of GF flour until smooth. Add the flour and milk to the pan.Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- While the sauce is simmering. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the GF spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Take the sauce off the heat and add the cheddar and mozzarella cheese until melted and smooth. Gently stir the cooked pasta into the sauce until fully coated. Serve immediately, topped generously with the reserved seasoned bread crumb topping.