Cauliflower Carbonara

I have had several requests for this recipe after mentioning it on Facebook so I though I would share it with my readers. Yes, I love, love, love cauliflower as you can see from some of the sides below.

This spin on cauliflower will make even the pickiest vegetable eater ask for seconds. I mean can you really ever go wrong with cream, cheese, and pancetta – I think not.

Best of all I do not use the traditional egg in this recipe so it is a bit more allergy and cholesterol-friendly – though you are basically eating cheese and cream so not exactly a light option, LOL!

Here is what you will need:

1 large head of cauliflower 4-5 thick slices of pancetta 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated ¾ cup heavy cream 3-4 tbsp, extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. salted butter2 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper to taste

Let’s get prepping:

Rinse the cauliflower and cut the florets away from the large stem. You want to make sure that the florets are bite-sized and not too large. Stack the slices of pancetta and slice into ¼” squared (roughly) sized pieces. Finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside.

Let’s get cooking:

Add the olive oil to a large saucepan or deep skillet and bring to temperature over medium-high heat. You want the pancetta to brown not burn. Once the pancetta is nice and brown, throw in the minced garlic (adding it too soon will cause it to go bitter and that’s never nice). Toss in your butter and let it melt. Next add the cauliflower florets to the pan and stir. You want to make sure all of the florets are well coated with the olive oil and lovely fat from the pancetta. Depending on how you like your cauliflower (I prefer a bit al dente) cook for 8-15 minutes until you reach your desired tenderness. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the heavy cream and stir to coat the cauliflower. When the cream is nicely warmed, add your Parmesan cheese a little at a time stirring frequently to ensure everything is well coated. It will not dissolve completely but will make for a nice texture. Add a bit of fresh cracked black pepper to taste and you are ready to go. Taste and if you want to add salt it is up to you but the cheese, butter, and pancetta provide enough for GFM’s liking.

Note: If you are not going to immediately serve this dish, hold off on adding the cream and cheese until just before you are ready to plate to keep things creamy.