Purple Cauliflower and Pesto Mac & Cheese

Have you ever had purple cauliflower?  At the grocery store over the weekend, they didn't have any of the usual white cauliflower.  Just purple, orange, and green.  If you wonder why it's purple, well, I have no idea...  Let's look it up!

Wikipedia says -

Purple color in cauliflower is caused by the presence of the antioxidant group anthocyanins, which can also be found in red cabbage and red wine.

Well, alrighty then.  The more you know.

I had really wanted to try my hand at braising some red cabbage but they didn't have any.  Purple cauliflower seemed like the next best choice - color-wise, at least.

More pink than purple here

I decided to make it as I usually do.  Roasted with garlic.

Purple!

For the the other side, I wanted to use up some of the goat cheese & pesto from the weekend before.  Which led to something I will definitely make again - goat cheese pesto mac & cheese!

I tried to "healthify" it up a little and added some spinach from the freezer.  (I defrosted it on medium-low on the stove top and then added the panko, parm, basil, garlic mixture.)  Used half of the half & half it called for, subbing 1% milk.  I also only used about 8 ounces of goat cheese.  But not so much for health as it was all that was left.  It looked so good before I even put it in the oven, I wanted to eat it right then.  (Who am I foolin'?  I totally ate some.)

I considered it a quality test

It cooked for about 45 minutes and then I broiled it a minute to get the panko on top nice and crispy.

The final meal...

"My" Kroger's fish keeps getting better & better!  Thank goodness...

The purple cauliflower really did taste like regular cauliflower!  And turned a deep purple after roasting.  (I extra enjoyed this meal for all the colors.  I oh-so-rarely eat purple things.)

The mac & cheese turned out well too.  Nice and creamy.  Hubs liked it.  Although he also informed me that it was not in fact mac & cheese.  (Mac & cheese apparently cannot be made in the oven.  True mac & cheese is made on the stove.  You know, out of a box and stuff.  Perhaps with the name Velveeta?  I think was where he was going with that...)


It was fun to try something different.  Even if it's not REALLY that different.  I still want to try braising some red cabbage though.  Next time!

Pesto Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 3/4 cups Parmesan
• 1 pound mini pasta shells
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 16 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or home-made
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Preheat the broiler and arrange a rack on top.
2. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over low heat. In a large bowl add the garlic, basil, panko, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Reserve.
3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put the half-and-half in a small pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Put the pot over low heat and add the half-and-half mixture. When it simmers, add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth. Add in the remaining Parmesan and whisk until melted.
5. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Stir in the pesto, reserved cooking water, salt, and pepper. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
6. Pour the pasta mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with the panko mixture. Put under the broiler until the mixture bubbles and the top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.