Cheesy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower
- Preparing Time: -
- Total Time: -
- Served Person: 6 servings
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 pound pasta, such as medium shell or tube pasta
- 1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes, lightly crushed by hand
- 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely grated
- 4 ounces provolone or other mildly sharp cheese (such as more of the cheddar below), coarsely grated
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
- 2 ounces parmesan, grated
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2" pieces
- room-temperature butter or nonstick cooking oil spray (for pan)
- Carbohydrate 65 g(22%)
- Cholesterol 156 mg(52%)
- Fat 47 g(73%)
- Fiber 4 g(17%)
- Protein 31 g(63%)
- Saturated Fat 28 g(141%)
- Sodium 594 mg(25%)
- Calories 809
Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until about halfway cooked (it needs to be very firm at this stage so that it doesn’t overcook when baked). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well. Lightly crush cherry tomatoes with your hands in a large bowl. Add mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, Parmesan, cream, and reserved ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and mix to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add cauliflower and cooked pasta and toss to coat. Butter (or lightly coat) a 3-qt. or 13x9x2" baking dish with butter. Scrape in pasta mixture and spread out into an even layer. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake pasta until hot throughout and steaming when foil is lifted, 20–25 minutes. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 425°F. Continue to bake pasta until sauce is bubbling and top is browned and crunchy in spots, 25–30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Do Ahead Pasta can be assembled 2 days ahead. Cover and chill until ready to bake.
Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until about halfway cooked (it needs to be very firm at this stage so that it doesn’t overcook when baked). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well. Lightly crush cherry tomatoes with your hands in a large bowl. Add mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, Parmesan, cream, and reserved ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and mix to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add cauliflower and cooked pasta and toss to coat. Butter (or lightly coat) a 3-qt. or 13x9x2" baking dish with butter. Scrape in pasta mixture and spread out into an even layer. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake pasta until hot throughout and steaming when foil is lifted, 20–25 minutes. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 425°F. Continue to bake pasta until sauce is bubbling and top is browned and crunchy in spots, 25–30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Do Ahead Pasta can be assembled 2 days ahead. Cover and chill until ready to bake.
