Cheeseless Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This comforting Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is loaded with flavour but awesomely cheese-free, lighter and packed with extra veggies!
This Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is just the perfect comfort food to enjoy during the cold season.
For an Italian like me, there's nothing more comforting than a rich, heart-warming pasta bake.
This magic pasta bake is a favourite in our house. It's packed with healthy veggie goodness, and it has way LESS fat and calories than classic mac 'n' cheese, but the taste is not compromised at all.
It's super tasty, comforting and totally irresistible!
Crispy on top, and oozing with creamy and gooey cauliflower alfredo sauce, this cauliflower mac and cheese is super easy to make and only requires very simple ingredients:
- macaroni pasta (or your favourite short pasta shape)
- cauliflower
- milk
- panko breadcrumbs
- few simple spices and herbs
- extra virgin olive oil
The secretly healthy cauliflower alfredo sauce is SO rich and velvety, TRUST ME, you won't miss the cheese in this tasty pasta bake.
I followed this super simple recipe for the vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce. I've used it as a base but swapped the cashew milk with unsweetened almond milk, and skipped the nutritional yeast.
It's super easy to make and takes less than 20 minutes – Plus, you can make a large batch of it and stock your freezer up to use whenever you like.
Once you've got the sauce ready, the pasta comes together in a blink.
Just cook the macaroni until al dente, mix them up with the sauce, layer on a large baking dish and top your pasta with crunchy panko breadcrumbs.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, and you're good to go and ready to enjoy this heart-warming, epic pasta dish.
This comforting Cauliflower Mac and Cheese has all the flavour of the classic version, but it's awesomely cheese-free, lighter and packed with extra veggie goodness!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Recipe
Cheeseless Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 350 g macaroni pasta, or other short pasta
- 250 ml Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- 90 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/375F.
- In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water cook the pasta al dente, about 3 mins before cooking time.
- Drain pasta al dente and transfer back in the pot. Pour in the warm Alfredo cauliflower sauce and mix until combined.
- In a small bowl combine together panko breadcrumbs, paprika, nutmeg, thyme and oregano leaves and chopped garlic. Season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and white pepper to taste and mix all ingredients together.
- Brush a medium baking dish with olive oil, then add in the pasta and distribute evenly. Scatter the seasoned breadcrumbs all over the top and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
- Bake until crispy and golden on top, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
What a delicious recipe remake on a classic recipe!
This sounds so interesting! I wonder if I can sneak this healthy Alfredo sauce across my boys! I think I have to try! Excellent idea!
This is different and I am curious to try! An interesting take on the traditional.
What a genius idea to use a cauliflower alfredo sauce in this mac and cheese dish. I think my kiddos wouldn't know the difference. Love that it's a healthier version of a family favorite.
I would be so happy if this ended up on our Thanksgiving table this year! Holy yum!
Yessss I love caulifredo alfredo! This combo sounds like just what I need right now - I'm not feeling well but some healthy comfort food would hit the spot. Beautiful photos too!
Oh no, sorry to hear that 🙁 Hope some good comfort food can help you recover quickly!
Yum, there is very little more comforting then a tasty pasta bake. I’m intrigued by this one as Mac & cheese is a favourite of mine which I don’t eat too often as it’s not really very healthy. But this sounds a lot healthier without all the cheese. I am pinning for later, I can’t wait to try this one out.
I'm with you on mac n cheese, I don't eat it too often because is quite too heavy for me. Trust me, this cheeseless version is super light and creamy, I'm sure you'll love it 🙂