Turn Cauliflower Into Creamy Alfredo For An Easy Way To Get A Veggie Boost

Just ten years ago, the cauliflower was almost no one's friend. Today, the brain-shaped cruciferous vegetable forms pizza crust, crackers, rice, pasta, sticky garlic cauliflower wings, and hummus. It also offers a great way to tune up an Alfredo sauce. That's because cauliflower can create a thick, creamy texture in place of the oft-used cream, cheese, egg, or butter. Pureeing cauliflower into a basic base of milk, nut milk, or other liquid, along with some aromatics, brings a nutty flavor to the body while keeping the creaminess and thickness that trad-Alfredo fans love. Adding cauliflower also inspires many chefs to lean into the healthy side even more, replacing other dairy ingredients with nutritional yeast, cashew milk, and vegan butters.

That's music to people's ears who are on specialized or restricted diets, especially when the veggie helps replace high-fat dairy produce that many people need to steer clear of. With cauliflower, the Alfredo sauce can lose some or all of the calories, cholesterol, and fat in the dairy. In particular, lactose-intolerant people who've bid tearful goodbyes to all things dairy may shed another happier one at the return of their once favorite dish. The health kick of cauliflower is real, too. Just a single cup contains large doses of vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, and vitamin B6, as well as antioxidants and choline, a nutrient essential to a healthy nervous system. The high fiber also keeps you fuller longer. Indeed, cauliflower is a nutrition powerhouse.

Whether adding cauliflower to traditional Alfredo sauce, a vegan version, or anything in between, you need to first soften the cauliflower significantly for the puree. One way is to set the cauliflower on a low boil for about 20 minutes in the liquid you're using as the base of your sauce, or separately in water. Another option is steaming — perhaps the easiest way to cook fresh cauliflower — and a microwave may also handle the task in six to ten minutes. When the cauliflower falls off the fork; drain, dry, chop, and process in a blender with the other ingredients on your particular recipe, dairy or dairy-free. Watch to see when your cauliflower Alfredo sauce reaches the desired thickness, pour it into the saucepan and simmer. Then, mix in the noodles, and after the two have bonded, transfer it to a plate and your belly.

As chefs are natural explorers, many adjust their cauliflower Alfredo with a range of ingredients, including green peas, Greek yogurt, macadamia nuts, miso paste, olive oil, and vegetable or chicken broth. Garlic, onion, and lemon also make regular appearances, as does black pepper, thyme, parsley, and paprika — adding several more ideas to the list of cauliflower recipes you'll crave on repeat. The creamy, richness of cauliflower Alfredo sauce may also benefit from pairings with dishes and drinks that cut it with acidity. Wine fans may choose Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Roussanne styles. A malty, black tea also offers an interesting balance to the creaminess, as do any crunchy textures in side dishes, like roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts.