Moosewood Restaurant Favorites by The Moosewood Collective

Author:The Moosewood Collective [Collective, The Moosewood]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2014-08-21T11:17:46+00:00

Pasta al Cavalfiore

We confess that while preparing this dish you will dirty a lot of pots and bowls and the preparation is not quick and easy. But your efforts will be rewarded with a big, beautiful casserole that is golden and bubbly and looks like elegant mac and cheese delicious comfort cuisine—great to take to a dish-to-pass or add to a party buffet.

Serves 8 (more as a side dish)

Prep time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Baking time: 40 minutes

CHEESE SAUCE

½ cup butter

½ cup unbleached white all-purpose flour

1 quart milk, heated

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons sherry, white wine, or water

1 medium head cauliflower, cut in florets

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

½ cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound chunky pasta (shells, penne, ziti, fusilli)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To prepare the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Slowly add the heated milk, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the nutmeg, mustard, salt, pepper, and Parmesan and remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large pot on medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook, covered, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sherry, wine, or water. Add the cauliflower and salt, cover, and cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and lemon juice and remove from the heat.

When the water for pasta is at a rolling boil, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl or one of the pots, combine the pasta, vegetables, cheese sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Spread the pasta mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.

VARIATIONS

• In place of chopped fresh tomatoes, use two 15-ounce cans or one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained.

• Instead of baking a casserole, stir the cooked vegetables into the cheese sauce and ladle the sauce over individual portions of cooked pasta. Top with the grated mozzarella.

• OK, we know this is called cavalfiore but in the Moosewood tradition of messing around with recipes, you could replace the cauliflower with zucchini or yellow squash and the tomatoes with red bell peppers. Or, chopped spinach or chard (keep the tomatoes). Or, mushrooms. Or broccoli. Or …

SERVING AND MENU IDEAS

Anything more than a crisp green salad may put you into a stupor.

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