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Try this Alfredo cauliflower as a Thanksgiving side, but you’ll love it for year round.
Alfredo Cauliflower–Perfect Side Dish
I consider this Alfredo cauliflower the perfect side dish since it can wear many hats. And one of those hats is that it can also be a main course!
This is also a great recipe for the coming holidays. It will wow the family and any guests–trust me on this! Since it’s so rich, a little bit goes a long way as a side. This is one of those dishes where you just cannot be concerned with calories. However, a little splurging at holiday time is always permitted and this one is so worth it.
A Recipe That’s Adaptable
This Alfredo cauliflower can be adapted in several ways.
The full version has prosciutto tucked in randomly between the other ingredients. Prosciutto is also known as Parma ham in UK. It gets nice and crispy and adds so much flavor. Made the full way, this is also an excellent main dish. But if you don’t want to invest in prosciutto because I don’t think too many people actually have that on hand, it’s easily omitted. A good deli ham could probably be substituted but I’d advise using one that’s not watery.
In fact when you leave out the meat, it becomes a vegetarian (but unfortunately not vegan) main or side dish.
I wouldn’t suggest leaving out the blistered tomatoes as they are really important to the unique flavor here. Of course you can if you want to do so, but then it becomes like cauliflower cheese with different flavors.
Easy Sauce
The Alfredo sauce is so easy, there’s no reason not to make your own. All that’s involved is stirring a few ingredients together over the heat. There’s no fuss whatsoever to it. That way you know what’s in it.
However, if you must, a good-quality store-bought sauce can be used if you are really pressed for time and don’t want an additional pot to wash.
The Recipe
Alfredo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head fresh cauliflower
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 4 oz sliced prosciutto Parma ham in UK
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Parsley for garnish
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Place tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil (I used about 2 tablespoons). Spread the tomatoes out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with desired amount of salt & pepper. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, turning halfway though. Tomatoes should be nicely blistered. Set aside.
- Next, separate the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; drain well.
- Lightly grease a 3 qt/3L baking dish. Place the cauliflower and tomatoes in the dish, distributing each well. Tear prosciutto into large pieces and tuck it between, the cauliflower and tomatoes, again distributing it well.
- Next, in a small saucepan, melt the butter then stir in the cream and bring it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/4 cups of the cheese and simmer for another minute. Add any salt & pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the cauliflower mixture, then top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and prosciutto is crispy.
