Cauliflower Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce and Fresh Homemade Pasta

Team: Jr. Thunderchef's

Host School: MVU

Age Group: Middle School

Ingredients

Fresh Homemade Pasta

2 cups flour                    

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cauliflower  Cream  Cheese Alfredo Sauce

1 small head cauliflower

2 cups vegetable broth

3 cloves garlic, minced        

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1/3 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup of  heavy cream

1/3 - 1/2   cup starchy boiling water from pasta pot

4 ounces  low-fat cream cheese

1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping (1/4 cup)

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/2 cup of vegetable broth

3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Toping

2 small heads of broccoli, chopped

3 carrots, shredded

Preparation Instructions

Fresh Homemade Pasta

Mound the flour on a clean work surface.

Hollow out the center making a well in the middle of the flour with steep sides.

Break the eggs into the well.

Add the salt, and olive oil to the hollow center and gently mix together with a fork.

Gradually start incorporating the flour by pulling in the flour from the sides of the well.

As you incorporate more of the flour, the dough will start to take shape.

With your hands or a bench scraper continue working the dough until it comes together. If the dough is too dry, add a little water; if too wet or sticky, add a little flour.

Begin kneading the dough and keep kneading until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

At this point, set the dough aside, cover it with plastic, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 even sections. Keep each section covered with plastic wrap or a clean towel while you work with each one. Flour the dough, the rollers of a pasta roller (or your rolling pin), your hands, and the work surface.

Using a pasta machine: Flatten 1 of the of the dough pieces between your hands or with a floured rolling pin until it forms a thick oval disk. Dust the disk, the roller, and your hands with additional flour. Flour a baking sheet to hold the rolled out finished pasta.

With the roller on the widest setting, pass the pasta through the machine's rollers a few times until it is smooth.

Next adjusting the pasta machine settings to become thinner, passing the dough through a few times at each setting.

Cauliflower  Cream  Cheese Alfredo Sauce

Chop the cauliflower.

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. In my experience, the longer you cook it, the smoother the sauce will be.

Topping

Finely chop broccoli and steam

Shred carrots and set aside

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the minced garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.

As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta, reserving some of the starchy water to add to the sauce later. About a cup.

Transfer cauliflower to a blender with about 3/4-1 cup of the broth.

Add the sauteed garlic, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper and puree until very smooth, about 5 minutes.

Once the mixture is moving, stream the olive oil into the blender. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick to move through the blender. You want it to turn through the blender easily

In the garlic and butter skillet mix cream cheese, milk cream and 1/4 of  broth until smooth.  

. When puree is very smooth, transfer back to the butter/garlic skillet.

Add fresh parsley.

Add the starchy pasta water (1/4 -3/4) cup and keep warm until ready to serve.

Combine noodles and sauce in a large pot or skillet, add broccoli and carrot toppings, and serve immediately.