This recipe is a delicious way to get healthy cauliflower into your kiddos’ mouths! And a wonderful low-carb option in lieu of traditional Penne alla Vodka. The recipe calls for a quick parboil of the cauliflower florets before mixing with the rest of the ingredients and baking off in the oven. But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through the whole process!
Ingredients:
2 large heads of cauliflower, cored and broken down into medium-sized florets. Discard leaves and core
1 jar of Due Cellucci Vodka Sauce
4 tbsp heavy cream
4 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
6-8 slices of Provolone cheese. Enough to cover, depending on the size of your casserole dish
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish at end
Optional flavor: We also diced up 4 strips of bacon, one medium onion and sautéed both in the skillet for 3-5 minutes before adding in all the other ingedients.
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on stovetop. In the sink, also fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and ice.
2. Once stovetop water is boiling, drop all the florets in and give them a good dunk. It just takes a minute or so of parboiling to get florets to an al dente stage. Drain cauliflower into a colander in the sink, and immediately transfer to the large bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking any further. Then strain and transfer all the florets to a clean kitchen towel on counter, and let them sit and drain well. You want the florets well-drained of excess water before mixing with all the other ingredients.
3. Combine the cauliflower, vodka sauce, heavy whipping cream, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat all.
4. Transfer into a 9 x 13 baking dish (or equivalent) and top with slices of Provolone cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Top with chopped fresh basil and serve.