Curried Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Greens
Cheesy curried cauliflower mac and cheese made with ziti pasta, melty cheese, greens and red chiles. The greens can be kale, Swiss chard or baby spinach. This makes for an incredibly comforting vegetarian dinner, perfect for cold nights, and it's all topped with toasted breadcrumbs.
Servings: 6
Calories: 405.9kcal
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
- large oven-proof skillet
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups cauliflower florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder divided
- ⅜ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 cup uncooked penne pasta or other pasta shapes you like
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- ¾ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 Fresno red chile stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cup 2% milk
- 8 ounces melty cheese I used cheddar and fontina
- 1 cup baby spinach or baby kale
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower with the oil, ½ teaspoon curry powder and ⅛ teaspoon salt, and spread on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, until softened and lightly crisped. (The exact roasting time depends on the size of the florets.)
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions. Drain.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and chile, and sauté until softened and just beginning to brown. Sprinkle the flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon curry and ½ teaspoon salt over the vegetables and whisk to combine. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes to cook the flour.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the milk to form a roux, ¼ cup at a time. Return the skillet to the heat and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. For photos on making a roux, check out this post for Spinach Madeline.
- Stir in the cheeses, kale, and tomato until the cheese melts. Fold in the cauliflower. Pour into an 8" X 8" casserole dish, or keep in the skillet if it's oven safe, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until lightly toasted. Spread on the casserole and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly.
- Serve garnished with cilantro.
Nutrition
Calories: 405.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.1g | Protein: 17.2g | Fat: 23.2g | Saturated Fat: 12.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 58.1mg | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 595.7mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 8.8g | Vitamin A: 1057.4IU | Vitamin C: 60.9mg | Calcium: 404.6mg | Iron: 1.7mg