Mac & Cheese with cauliflower
Mac & Cheese is a real crowd-pleaser, right? Creamy pasta with lots of cheese. Not exactly healthy, but very tasty. But as the new year begins, it’s time for things to be a bit more nutritious again.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 250 g large macaroni (I used pipe rigate)
- 500 g cauliflower (cut into florets)
- 125 ml milk
- 60 g grated mature cheese
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 stock cube
- A handful of parsley
- Salt and pepper
Method · 30 min
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain and set aside. Also, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (fan-assisted).
- Prepare another pan with boiling water and add a stock cube and the cauliflower florets. Cook the cauliflower until tender, about 12–15 minutes.
- Put half of the cauliflower in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Add a clove of garlic and the milk. Blend until smooth. Add a splash of extra milk if the sauce is too thick. I aimed for the consistency of béchamel sauce. Chop the parsley and add it to the sauce along with 40g of cheese. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Mix the cauliflower sauce with the pasta and add the remaining cauliflower florets. Pour into an oven dish. Garnish the Mac & Cheese with the remaining cheese and place the dish in the oven for about 10 minutes. The Mac & Cheese is ready when the cheese is nicely melted.
Healthy mac & cheese difficult? No, not at all.
Now you might be thinking, what a hassle to make this healthy pasta. But it really isn't. This cauliflower sauce is made in no time. It is simply a matter of boiling the cauliflower, pureeing it, and seasoning it.
Family recipe
This recipe for Mac & Cheese is truly a family recipe. I used a spicy aged grated cheese, but you could also use Parmesan or a mature cheese. Do taste the sauce before adding it to the pasta; it could use quite a bit of kick. I'm curious what you think of it. Will you let me know on social media?
