CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE

Ingredienser

1/2 large head of cauliflower

1 heaping cup raw cashews •

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

. Zest and juice of 1 lemon •

12 ounces pasta shells

Cheddar cheese, freshly grated

Fremgangsmåte

Preheat oven to 400°F and bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Cut the cauliflower into large bite-size florets and season the boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Boil the cashews and cauliflower until the florets are soft, but not extremely mushy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid, drain the cashews and cauliflower, and place them in a blender. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the blender along with a few cracks of pepper, 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½ a lemon, and ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Blend on high until very smooth. You will most likely need to add another ¼ cup of cooking liquid to loosen the sauce, maybe more. Check for seasoning as you may need more lemon juice or salt. Set aside.

Meanwhile, boil some water for the pasta shells and cook according to the box instructions. Save 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

In a large bowl, mix the pasta shells together with all of the cheese sauce and ¾ cup of reserved cooking water. Mix well and transfer to an 8 x 10-inch baking dish. If the mixture still looks dry, add another splash of water. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with ½ cup parmesan cheese, maybe more, and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted, but don't walk away! Instead of topping with parmesan, I would ideally use freshly grated cheddar cheese, but that would have been a sixth ingredient!

Allow to cool a couple of minutes, then enjoy!