Having a toddler, mac n' cheese was a surefire win, right? (then again, my kid eats anything so that's not much to go by). Without reading the recipe, I bought a parsnip before I headed home.
It took me a few days before I finally had a night to try the recipe and by this time Mommy-brain had kicked in and I was convinced it was a risotto recipe. *sigh*. Anyway, I googled the recipe and tried it out. Turns out I should have bought TWO large parsnips (not one) but it did still turn out quite well. I had also run out of my regular extra virgin olive oil so I used less than what was called for (I only had super good extra virgin olive oil that I use for salads). Also, instead of roasting the garlic with the oil (to make garlic oil), I just wrapped it in foil and tossed it in the oven along with the cauliflower.
The end result? 8 out of 10. I saw Nica sneak at least three bowls and Ariana finished off her plate too. Would be great for a children's party!
Here's the website link: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4566
And here's the recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese or Gruyère cheese
- 1 pound regular or whole wheat ziti or Italian-style, straight-cut macaroni
Serves 4-6
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.In a small pot, combine the garlic and EVOO; heat over a low flame and gently cook until the garlic is light golden in color and very fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and reserve.
Pile the cauliflower on a baking sheet and dress with the lemon juice, about 3-4 tablespoons of the garlic-infused oil and the thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread the florets out in a single layer. Roast to brown at the edges and until tender, 20-25 minutes. Cover with the Parmigiano Reggiano and roast for 5 minutes more. Turn the oven off.
Meanwhile, boil the parsnips in salted water to tender, 10-15 minutes. Puree in a food processor with the garlic cloves.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
In a saucepot, combine the remaining garlic oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter foams, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute; add the stock and milk and thicken. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; combine the sauce with the parsnip puree and melt in the cheese.
Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Arrange in a serving dish topped with crispy cauliflower florets on top.
This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit
www.yum-o.org.
