Baked Pasta and Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

I love it when recipes swap out an uber-fatty ingredient and sneak in something wildly healthy.  You know, the old switcheroo?!

Sorry cheese, I love you, but you’re going to have to step back while I mow down on insanely creamy cauliflower sauce that’s masquerading as, well, you.

This recipe is totally a game of mind trickery at its culinary finest.  You love creamy, cheesy pasta sauces, right?  Well this sauce will make you feel like you’re indulging, when in fact, not only is this luscious comfort meal not a complete bomb (as my dear mother would say), I think it’s semi good for you!   GASP!  So since I’ll be slipping into a bathing suit this weekend and then a bridesmaids dress in a few weeks, the relentless snacker over here needs to chill out on all the comfort foods that I’m constantly craving these days and eat more veggies.  Join me, won’t you?  Here’s what I did:

1 t. olive oil

1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped into florets

6 garlic cloves, smashed

4 shallots, cuts into chunks

4 t. flour

4 c. skim milk

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 lb. medium whole wheat shells

1/4 pl. sliced smoked ham, chopped

1 medium head broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets

breadcrumbs

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add cauliflower, garlic, shallots, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat well.

Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; gently simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer all to a blender (or use an immersion blender-which is far and beyond my favorite kitchen tool) and puree with nutmeg and half the pecorino until smooth, about 2 minutes.

And my second favorite kitchen tool?  This incredible nutmeg grater.  Stupidly expensive and I don’t use it very often, but I just get a kick out of it.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta until slightly tender but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes.  (Note:  If you like your broccoli pretty tender, add it to boiling pasta water for a couple of minutes before draining)  Drain well; return to pot.  Add ham, broccoli, and cauliflower sauce; toss to combine.

Transfer to a baking dish.

Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and breadcrumbs, and bake until bubbling in center, about 30 minutes.  Heat broiler, and broil until golden brown on top, 1-2 minutes.

This dish works because of the flavorful smoked ham and crunchy parmesan and breadcrumb topping.  The cream sauce almost fakes you out because you have extreme creaminess, and your mind almost doesn’t realize that it’s not all that cheesy.

I’ll admit, the cream sauce is clearly not exactly like an Italian restaurant’s alfredo sauce, but you gotta do a little give and take if you want to swap out all of the calories and fat.  Sneaking in all of the veggies is such a genius way of boosting the nutritional value.

So maybe I won’t have to wear a corset underneath the bridesmaids dress in a few weeks after all!

- Jackie