Shells with Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower

Hey, everyone. It’s been awhile. Life has been crazy busy lately. We’re building a patio in the backyard (okay, my husband is mostly the one doing that), and I also ran a Half Marathon a little over a week ago. So yes, life has been crazy and cooking has been about simply getting a meal on the table for everyone or carb loading. Neither of these are great times for writing new recipes on my blog. But I promised myself when I started this blog that I would never pressure myself to write a recipe every week. That, to me, is a great way to kill my creativity. So there may be times when I have to step away from my blog for a few days or a few weeks – and I’m okay with that. 

But here I am again, and I have a recipe that I’ve been playing with for years, and I’m really excited to share it with you. This is basically a mac and cheese recipe, except that it uses vegetable broth instead of milk. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. A healthy mac and cheese recipe? It honestly wasn’t my intention to try and make a “healthier” mac and cheese. Mac and cheese is amazing just the way it is, and I will never try and take that creamy, cheesy goodness away from anyone, including myself. 

This recipe came about for another reason. I’ve mentioned on the blog before that I just can’t handle a lot of dairy. Dairy and I don’t get along well. At all. But I love mac and cheese. Sure, I can handle a dairy-laden version occasionally, but I want to eat mac and cheese more than occasionally. So for the past several years I’ve been playing around with different ways of making mac and cheese using broth. 

In previous years, I would make a roux and thicken the broth, just like I would for a cheese sauce using milk. But something was never quite right. Then I got Hetty McKinnon’s cookbook Family, which changed everything. 

In her cookbook, Hetty McKinnon has a recipe in which she cooks the pasta right in the vegetable broth instead of making a separate cheese sauce. I’ll be the first to admit that I was skeptical at first. Cook pasta in only 5 cups of broth? The first time I tried it, every ounce of my Italian upbringing was screaming “this is wrong! You need more liquid!” But to my utter amazement, it worked. Actually, it more than worked. The starchy pasta thickens the broth and everything happens in one pan. It’s genius, and it’s perfect. 

So I took McKinnon’s method and incorporated it into my own recipe. Voila. This is the mac and cheese dish I’ve been trying to make for years. 

Some notes on the ingredients: 

The cheese: I never measure cheese and will never make you measure cheese either. I’m giving you approximate measurements, because I know someone out there might want them. But add however much cheese you want. 

The broth: I suggest using the best broth that you can get or make. These days I use vegetable broth, but I have tried it with chicken broth before. Use whatever works for you. 

The pasta: I love using shells for this (De Cecco Shells No. 50). I love the way the shells fill up with the creamy sauce. However, you can use any small pasta shape. Adjust the cook time accordingly. 

The cauliflower: I love roasted cauliflower and cheesy pasta. They are meant for each other. Broccoli also works great. If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to use your oven, you could add a cooked vegetable at the end or toss in frozen peas or skip the vegetable all together. (I won’t judge).

Print Recipe

Shells with Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower

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As creamy and cheesy as traditional mac and cheese but with a lot less dairy.

Ingredients

• About ½ a small head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
• extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 5 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 pound of pasta (shells or other small pasta)
• 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Fresh chives (optional)
• 1 to 2 cups of white cheddar cheese
• ⅓ cup of pecorino or parmesan cheese
• Black pepper

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the cauliflower florets into small bite size pieces. You want enough to fill the pan but not so much that it’s overcrowded. Too much and the cauliflower will steam, not roast. Leave some breathing room. Toss the cauliflower with salt, pepper, and olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet. Roast for 22 - 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes or once it is nicely browned on one side.

2

Next melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large stock pot. Add 5 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Taste the broth and add salt, if needed. Once boiling, add the pasta. If you’re Italian American like me, you’ll probably hear your Nonna saying in your head, “you need more liquid!” But trust me. This will work. Wait until the pasta comes back to a boil before setting the timer. The shells I used took 11 minutes to be al dente. If you’re using a different type of pasta, go by the time listed on the box. Be sure to stir the pasta every few minutes.

3

Once the pasta is al dente, most of the broth should be absorbed. You still want some liquid in the pan for the cheese sauce. Turn the heat down to low, and add 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, a shake or two of cayenne pepper, and some chives. Give the pasta a good stir.

4

Next add the cheese, about a ½ cup at a time. Stir the pasta while the cheese melts and wait until the cheese has mostly melted before adding more. Be sure to taste and see what it needs. More cheese? More salt? More cayenne? Make it taste good to your liking.

5

Add the roasted cauliflower, a few grinds of black pepper, and some chives and serve right away. It will continue to thicken while it sits, so this is best served immediately. Enjoy!