Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz short pasta of your choice
- 1 slice of thick bacon cut into lardons
- 3/4 cup basic cauliflower puree (cauliflower cooked in water and then pureed until very
- smooth with a little milk or buttermilk… I always have some in the freezer)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 4 oz of sharp cheddar cheese grated (Cracker Barrel is perfect for this)
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. of Frank’s Red Hot Original
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta as suggested by the manufacturer, minus 1 minute.
- Set aside a little of the cooking water, drain the pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat in a saucepan or deep skillet until crisp.
- Add buttermilk, scraping to loosen brown bits and add the mashed cauliflower.
- Stir until a smooth puree (add a little more buttermilk if necessary).
- Season the cauliflower sauce with mustard and Red Hot sauce.
- Season with pepper to taste.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in the grated cheese, in batches, until it is completely melted.
- Return the pan to the heat and stir in the pasta.
- Add a splash of the cooking water and cook on low heat for about a minute.
- The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce and the starch from the pasta cooking water will help provide a smooth, creamy texture.
- Serve immediately.