Creamy Cauliflower Sauce Pasta is a revelation. And pasta is not all you can make with this delicious low fat lip smacking delicious (already said that?) sauce!
You all know – I just love macaroni and cheese. Who doesn’t? And I confess, when given the option of a red sauce or a white sauce, I always choose the creamy cheesy sauce for my pasta. Just a regular old mac and cheese, or Al Forno, or Formaggio, and all those good things. But these remain an occasional indulgence. I have always tried out various different ways to make a lower fat version of creamy pasta.
And then I read about Lindsay’s Creamy Cauliflower Sauce. Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum is a mega successful blogger whose creamy cauliflower sauce has rocked the blogosphere. She wrote a book about it, and it is a bestseller!!
So yeah, I’ve wanted to try this sauce, or at least a version of it (I can never follow a recipe). This sauce is really kind to us folks living in India, because it uses the humble cauliflower which God knows almost every part of the country has abundant of. I mean, there are no portobellos or shitakes, or avocados, or even the green cousin of cauliflower – broccoli – involved.
Cheese is entirely optional here but hey, you gotta have some cheese! And since Parmesan is not too pocket friendly, I am using a sharp Gouda made by the folks at GO! Please try, really really try not to use processed cheese here! Even Amul makes a Gouda, and some indigenous brands you can use are – Baramati Cheddar, GO Italian Blend, Amul Gouda, Go Gouda, Britannia Cheddar – and you will notice they are not processed!
For folks who have better access to a variety of cheeses, you can use different cheeses here. A sprinkling of Parmesan (preferably not the one in the green Kraft bottle) will do wonders here. I am using basil because I like it, and it was available. Flat leaf parsley or rosemary would also be good choices.
Explore Lindsay’s Creamy Cauliflower Sauce Cookbook
So here goes, I will let you check out this super simple recipe for my creamy cauliflower sauce pasta without further delay! Did I mention it is lower in calories, and good for you?
Creamy cauliflower sauce pasta is a low fat treat. Simple enough to make in a jiffy, it is creamy cheesy comfort food with lesser calories.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 6-8 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 100g Gouda cheese
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
- 1 lb pasta of choice
- Salt to taste
- Bunch of fresh basil leaves
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil per taste
Method
- Clean the cauliflower, and add to stock pot. Cover with vegetable stock or water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer until tender.
- In a sauté pan, add the butter and let it melt. Add chopped or grated garlic and fry on very low heat until garlic is light brown. Do not burn the garlic.
- Add the cauliflower florets, garlic and butter and half a cup of milk to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Strain if you want to leave out any rogue cauliflower bits.
- Add the sauce back to a sauce pan. Heat slowly. Add grated Gouda cheese and remaining milk. Season with salt and pepper, and add torn or chopped basil leaves.
- After cheese melts, add some stock from earlier if you want to thin out the sauce.
- Boil water in a large stockpot and add pasta of choice – fettuccine, linguini, penne, macaroni etc.
- Cook and drain.
- Mix pasta and sauce well. Serve garnished with fresh black pepper, basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
I guarantee it..you will never realize this is not your regular béchamel based cheese sauce. It is so creamy minus the calories! Check out the nutrition for one serving of sauce – about half a cup. You can serve this with any kind of pasta – regular, whole wheat, multigrain, quinoa, rice etc.
Try this, try this now and you will be licking the bowl, guaranteed. And Lindsay actually has a bunch of different recipes you can make with this sauce. So check out her now iconic book – The Creamy Cauliflower Sauce Cookbook!
