- 65 mins
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 1/3 About 1/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 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
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina or Gruyère cheese
- 1 pound ziti or Italian-style, straight-cut macaroni
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oven to 400°F.
In a small pot, combine garlic and oil, heat over low flame and gently cook until garlic is light golden in color and very fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Remove garlic cloves and reserve.
Pile cauliflower on baking sheet and dress with lemon juice, about 3-4 tablespoons of the garlic-infused oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread florets out in a single layer. Roast to brown at edges and tender, 20-25 minutes. Cover with Parmigiano-Reggiano and roast 5 minutes more. Turn oven off.
Meanwhile, boil parsnips in salted water to tender, 10-15 minutes. Purée in a food processor with the garlic cloves.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
In a saucepot, combine remaining garlic oil and butter over medium heat. When butter foams, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute; add stock and milk, and thicken. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; combine sauce with parsnip purée and melt in cheese.
Cook pasta to al dente, drain pasta and toss with sauce. Arrange in a serving dish topped with crispy cauliflower florets on top.