Ive been meaning to write out this very simple recipe for so long, and tonight I figured I may as well do it now as its what Im making for dinner!
I honestly hate scrolling through online recipes where the author writes their life story, so Ill keep this short!
This recipe is a great alternative to a traditional cheese sauce, its great if youre calorie conscious, if youre cooking for a fussy child, or if you are trying to accommodate allergies whilst being able to indulge in favourites! I started using this as Parker has an intolerance to gluten, and had a cows milk protein allergy until he was 24 months old, therefore you can switch out the cheese for an alternative, as long as it melts well. You can also use gluten-free pasta as I do, and you can also use frozen or fresh cauliflower, I use frozen. One last thing, I use this cheese/ white sauce in lasagne, cauliflower cheese, Mac + cheese, and basically anything that requires this type of sauce!
- Firstly, this is a quick one pot* wonder for me. I throw a handful of frozen cauliflower, and some pasta into a pot of boiling water, and cook until both are soft (I dont measure, as what mum has time to with a threenager hanging from her leg asking every 4.5 seconds when dinner is ready?!). I dont salt the water, as Im feeding Parker, but feel free to. At this point I also put some green veggies on to cook too.
- Once both the pasta and cauliflower are ready, fish out the veg and add to a blender with cheese to taste, and gradually add the pasta cooking water a spoonful at a time until the desired consistency is reached- we like ours thick! The sauce wont taste like cauliflower at all, as long as you add enough cheese and seasoning!
- Drain the rest of the water from your pasta, and mix the pasta and sauce together. At this point I serve Parkers as is with green veggies.
- For H and I, I then add salt to taste (This is VERY important, as it changes your sauce from baby food to gorgeous!), and spread into an oven-proof dish, top with a light sprinkling of nutmeg, extra cheese, and whatever toppings take your fancy- breadcrumbs, tomato, hell, add lobster if youre feelin bouji (!), And bake until the cheese is bubbly! Tonight H chose crispy smoked bacon for his !
- Serve with veggies, garlic bread, ketchup, whatever you like I wont judge!
- Enjoy! (And let me know what you think, or if you try the sauce in other dishes, please share!!)
*I say one pot, dont blame me for the washing up if you bake yours in a dish and use an extra pot for your sides!