Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake
From the book Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver. You can either serve this macaroni unbaked, so it's loose, gooey, and silky, or bake it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving to give it a crispy, golden topping. You could even try adding a grated hard-boiled egg or cooked prawns, but I like the simple style, as here.
From the book Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver. You can either serve this macaroni unbaked, so it's loose, gooey, and silky, or bake it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving to give it a crispy, golden topping. You could even try adding a grated hard-boiled egg or cooked prawns, but I like the simple style, as here.
- Carbohydrate 37.667937639588 g
- Cholesterol 33.7926315352 mg
- Fat 11.502769466536 g
- Fiber 2.88899560562897 g
- Protein 17.061860140024 g
- Saturated Fat 6.879755612904 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (137g)
- Sodium 391.7532982604 mg
- Sugar 34.778942033959 g
- Trans Fat 0.831788497908398 g
- Calories 323 calories
Step-by-step
- To prepare your pasta: Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard. Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk and cut the head into small florets. Halve the thick stalk lengthways, then slice thinly. Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan into a large heatproof bowl. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves.
- To cook your pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and all your cauliflower and cook according to the macaroni-package instructions. Place the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the crème fraîche. Carefully stir every so often until the cheese is smooth and melted. If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly. Add all the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven gloves and put aside. Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan, pour in the melted cheese, and stir. It should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.
- At this point you can either serve the macaroni as is, or finish it under the broiler to make it crispy and golden on top. To do this, preheat your broiler to a medium to high heat. Add ? cup of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbling.
- To serve your pasta: Divide the pasta between plates or bowls, or place the baking dish in the middle of the table next to a nice green salad and let everyone help themselves.
What happens when the creamy saucepan emulsion meets leftover storage containers the following afternoon? Starch retrogradation sets in quickly, solidifying fats and tightening starches into a dense mass once chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Addressing this physical change requires introducing moisture before heat to prevent the cheese proteins from breaking down into an oily slick.
Reheating and Moisture Management
Direct application of high heat to cold dairy causes the emulsion to split, separating solids from liquid fat. To restore the original silky consistency, place the pasta in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat, whisking in two tablespoons of water or milk per cup of pasta. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam, allowing thermal energy to penetrate the center of the macaroni without scorching the bottom layer. Alternatively, spread the chilled mixture into a shallow ceramic baking dish, top with an extra ounce of grated Parmesan to form a protective crust, and run it beneath a preheated broiler for four to five minutes until bubbling.
Adjusting Yields and Scaling Proportions
Dividing or multiplying this formula requires careful attention to the ratio of pasta to cruciferous vegetables. One standard head of cauliflower yields approximately four cups of florets, which balances out one pound of dried elbow macaroni without overwhelming the sauce. When halving the volume for smaller households, use a two-quart saucepan rather than a standard four-quart vessel to ensure the heatproof bowl seated on top receives adequate steam contact for melting the cheddar and crème fraîche mixture evenly.
