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    Home » MAINS

    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers

    January 2, 2016 27 Comments

    Vegetarian tetrazzini loaded with cauliflower and poblano peppers, and switches out traditional sour cream or heavy cream for yogurt.
    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers and yogurt, lightened

    I hope all of you had memorable holidays, as we wrap it all up with a huge football weekend (go Steelers!!). My stepson and 3 of his 5 kids came to visit us in Tahoe for several days of fun. Skiing, sledding, bowling, go-kart racing, Star Wars VII, and playing games were all on the menu, along with celebrating two of my grandsons' birthdays.

    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers, lightened with yogurt

    Before I know it they'll be sulky teenagers, way too cool to spend time with me. So I take as much advantage of these years as I can.

    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers lightened with yogurt

    One of their favorite dinners is chicken tetrazzini. It's the tetrazzini their dad grew up with, and he now he makes it for them. I made it over the holidays for them, and admit it was really good. But since I'm crazy for cauliflower (the one white food we should all be eating lots of), I wanted to make a vegetarian version. I hope you enjoy it.

    Cooking Tips:

    Make this ahead and keep covered in the refrigerator for up to several days. Just re-warm in a 350˚F oven before serving.

    I made this at around 7000 feet since we live in the mountains. At sea level, the baking time may be 5 minutes less, and the tetrazzini will be a little more saucy. Either way, it's now one of my favorite dishes. As a little twist on it, add curry powder.

    Tips for Omnivores at the Table:

    Add roasted chicken + 50% additional liquid sauce. The sauce includes the milk, yogurt, broth, garlic paste, herb paste, butter, and flour.

    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers
    Print Recipe
    4.89 from 9 votes

    Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblano Peppers

    A vegetarian twist on the popular chicken tetrazzini, this one is loaded with cauliflower and spiced with poblano peppers.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 30 mins
    Course: Casserole Dinner
    Cuisine: Italian, Vegetarian
    Keyword: tetrazzini
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: The Wimpy Vegetarian

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cauliflower, 4 cups cut up
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • ⅛ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
    • 1 - 2 poblano peppers, blistered, peeled and seeded (depending on how much heat you prefer)
    • 2 small-medium leeks diced, white and light green parts (about ½ cup when cooked)
    • ½ pound uncooked spaghetti
    • ¾ cup low-fat milk
    • ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
    • ½ cup vegetable broth or stock
    • 1 tablespoon garlic paste, or minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon Italian Herbs Paste, or finely chopped basil or oregano
    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
    • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
    • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400˚F and butter one large baking dish. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
    • Cut the head of cauliflower into bite sized pieces (I separate out the florets and halve or quarter them depending on their size). Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange on the first baking sheet along with the poblano peppers, and roast until the cauliflower pieces are tender, and the peppers are blistered and charred, about 20 minutes.
    • Wash and slice the leeks into 3" X ½" strips. Toss in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange them on the second baking sheet and roast until very tender and some edges begin to crisp, about 30 minutes. It's fine to have the leek strips overlapping and even laying on top of each other. Both baking sheets can be in the oven at the same time, with the leeks on a shelf lower than the cauliflower and peppers.
    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti pasta into thirds (around 3” long) and cook according to the directions on the box.
    • Whisk the milk, yogurt, broth, garlic and herb pastes together in a medium bowl. Peel off the top papery skin from the charred poblano peppers, remove the seeds, and coarsely chop. Add the cauliflower, chopped peppers, and leeks to the milk and yogurt mixture.
    • In a large pot over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter is melted and sizzling, whisk in the flour to form a loose paste. Add the milk-cauliflower mixture to the pot and stir well. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce. Stir in the pasta and pour into the baking dish.
    • Toss the breadcrumbs and cheese together and spread over the casserole. Dot with the remaining tablespoon butter. Lower the oven temperature to 350˚F, and bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.
    • Serve warm with a hunk of crusty butter and green salad!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stacy Rushton

      January 03, 2016 at 2:05 am

      Creamy cheesy pasta is the best, Susan, and I love your addition of the cauliflower and peppers!

      Reply
    2. Tammi @Momma's Meals

      January 03, 2016 at 5:16 am

      I love tetrazzini anything! I love love love how you've made this a nice healthy and hearty dish! Happy New Year to you and your family.

      Reply
    3. TerriSue

      January 03, 2016 at 11:52 am

      Susan, This one sounds fantastic. I went shopping yesterday and decided not to get the cauliflower. I guess I'll have to wait until next week. It will definitely be on my list next week though. I have to try this one out!

      Reply
    4. Anita at Hungry Couple

      January 03, 2016 at 3:13 pm

      Serious yum. I'm basically obsessed with cauliflower. Pinned!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        January 05, 2016 at 12:35 pm

        Me too, Anita! I love, love, love cauliflower!!

        Reply
    5. cheri

      January 03, 2016 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Susan, once again you have outdone yourself, love this recipe. Happy New Year!!

      Reply
    6. Liz

      January 03, 2016 at 6:16 pm

      I wouldn't miss the chicken one bit! What a great vegetarian tetrazzini!

      Reply
    7. Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

      January 04, 2016 at 6:39 am

      I love the vegetarian spin on tetrazzini. Can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    8. Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook

      January 04, 2016 at 2:19 pm

      Sounds super flavorful!

      Reply
    9. Wendy Klik

      January 04, 2016 at 2:43 pm

      This is going on the To Try for a meatless Monday meal for sure!!

      Reply
    10. Rita Held

      January 04, 2016 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      Yes, cauliflower has lots of possibilities. I often make simple mashed cauliflower rather than mashed potatoes. The only difference is the garlic I add while cooking the cauliflower. And yes, Greek yogurt rather than sour cream.

      Reply
    11. Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

      January 04, 2016 at 6:16 pm

      Such a gorgeous comfort food dish! Love the cauliflower! I'm going to try this one of these days for Meatless Monday!

      Reply
    12. Sarah Reid

      January 05, 2016 at 4:04 pm

      AMAZING! Love the veggie twist on a classic, I'm sold as soon as cauliflower doesn't cost the same as a car payment!

      Reply
    13. Christie

      January 06, 2016 at 8:59 am

      Love the addition of poblanos too!

      Reply
    14. Rosemary Mark

      January 06, 2016 at 9:29 am

      This recipe is YUMMY! My carnevorous maxiumus man said 'this is good!' on the first bite, by the third bite it was 'this is REALLY good!". We had the leftovers last night after a late-night movie and it was even better!
      (I had quite a few re-reads on the recipe --- like the peppers mention roasted in the instructions, and also to roast with the cauliflower; the leeks say diced, but strips in the instructions. I can adapt and it looks almost exactly like yours, minus the great photography and styling. I'll email photos to you 🙂

      Reply
    15. Monica

      January 06, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      I adore this! Cauliflower pastas are my favorite :). This is my kind of comfort food.

      Reply
    16. Lynne @ MyGourmetConnection

      January 06, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      This is a great meatless dish - cauliflower beats turkey in my book!

      Reply
    17. Betsy @ Desserts Required

      January 07, 2016 at 1:04 pm

      I am with you on this one. The chicken may be good here but I would LOVE this dish sans poultry. FAB!!!

      Reply
    18. Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet

      January 08, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      My gramma made this for us all the time growing up! I really like your version too! I never thought of adding poblano peppers! Great idea. 🙂

      Reply
    19. Christie

      January 09, 2016 at 3:58 am

      5 stars
      Oh my, Susan. This looks fantastic!! I'm definitely adding it to our #meatfree options.

      Reply
    20. LydiaF

      January 09, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      5 stars
      Love the creamy sauce with the poblano peppers. Sounds wonderful with the cauliflower.

      Reply
    21. Denimo

      January 23, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Susan, I've pinned so many of your recipes, I thought I'd better go ahead and subscribe so I wouldn't miss anything in the future. Really enjoy your blog.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        January 23, 2016 at 1:31 pm

        Thank you so much Denimo!! That makes me so happy 🙂

        Reply
    22. Shelly

      December 11, 2016 at 6:25 pm

      This was a home run!!! Thank you!!! I feel like I get into a vegetarian rut with my Mexican and eggplant parm norms and this is so different from those 🙂

      I found it much easier to save dishes and time by:
      -Broiling poblanos (takes 3-4 min) separately directly on rack; then could peel white cauliflower roasting
      -not roasting the leeks; instead I sautéed them til soft in the large pot then added fresh garlic, then the flour to coat for a rue. Then the wet ingredients and cheese for the sauce and then the veggies and spaghetti.

      Can't wait to try more of your recipes! 🙂

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        December 11, 2016 at 6:44 pm

        I'm so so happy you liked it so much!!!! Thanks so much for letting me know, and I love your tips for saving time and dishes!!

        Reply
    23. Margot

      January 06, 2018 at 11:08 am

      Hi
      I cannot find the herb paste for this dish. What can I substitute?
      Thanks for your help

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        January 06, 2018 at 12:15 pm

        For the Garlic Paste, finely minced garlic of the same amount is fine. The bought version just saves times, that’s all. For the Italian Paste, substitute 2 teaspoons of dried herbs. A combination of oregano and basil are good ones to go with. If you opt for fresh, I recommend 4 teaspoons minced herbs of basil, thyme, and oregano. Hope that helps!

        Reply

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    I'm a mostly vegetarian married to a mostly carnivore and am on a constant hunt for healthy, delicious recipes we'll both like. Most recipes here are vegetarian with tips for adding meat or fish for the meat-eaters at the table. Whether you're vegetarian, or just wanting to eat less meat, I hope you'll find inspiration here to try something new for your own table, even if you're sharing it with someone with different eating preferences.

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