Stuffed Cauliflower

With Thanksgiving in the U.S. not too far away, you might be thinking about a side dish to accompany the big bird. Or you might just want to make this to serve this as your main course for a weeknight dinner, as I did recently. I added some cooked carrots on the side, and with the stuffed cauliflower enveloped in pastry crust, it made for a delicious and very filling dinner. It's easier to make than it looks so don't be afraid to try. I first saw this on Instagram from an Italian blogger, @andreagiuseppucci. He used Swiss chard, ricotta, anchovies and capers in his stuffing but mine uses spinach, ricotta and parmesan cheese. 

Start by trimming away all the green leaves at the base of the cauliflower.

Using a paring knife, I made a little concave indentation at the center, but be careful not to carve out too much of the center stem, or you're likely to loosen the florets. You'll need them all to stay attached to the center stem for this to work.

Next you'll boil the entire cauliflower in water for about 6-8 minutes. It will cook more in the oven.

Make the filling, and place into a plastic pastry bag. Cut off the tip, then insert it into each crevice of the cauliflower and squeeze the filling inside. If a little filling squirts out the side of the cauliflower, just wipe it off and add it back to the center.

Fill as much as possible, including a layer of filling on top (this will become the bottom after cooking.) You will have extra filling (I used the leftover filling in some ravioli a couple of days later, but you could also just butter a small dish and bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes).

You can use a homemade crust, but I made it easy on myself and used a store-bought crust. Try to find a oven-proof pan that is slightly bigger than the cauliflower. A springform pan would be ideal, but mine were too big. I found an aluminum pie tin in the basement that was just perfect. Position the piecrust into the pan, then add the stuffed cauliflower. Crimp the pastry all around the cauliflower. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just make sure there aren't any large gaps between the pastry and the cauliflower. Smear the top with softened butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees. During the last fifteen minutes, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. If it's not brown enough, crank up the temperature to 400 degrees for a few minutes.

It really does make for a great presentation.

When you cut into it, your family and guests will be in for a surprise. Not only does it look inviting, but it tastes great too.

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Stuffed Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower

10 oz. bag of spinach or box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt, pepper to taste

a dash of nutmeg

1 pie crust, purchased or homemade

a couple of tablespoons of softened butter

a sprinkling of parmesan cheese for the top

Trim the cauliflower of all green leaves and carve a small hole in the center, being careful not to dislodge the florets from the center stem. Boil for 6-8 minutes, then drain thoroughly. You can do this part ahead of time -- even the day before.

Squeeze the spinach thoroughly and place in a food processor, along with the parmesan, ricotta, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Process until smooth.

Put the stuffing into a plastic pastry bag and cut off a little of the bottom tip. Insert the tip into the cauliflower and try to get stuffing into all the crevices, finishing with a layer on top.

Use a casserole, springform or aluminum foil pan that is just slightly bigger than the cauliflower. Spray it with PAM, or smear with a little oil or butter. (This may be an unnecessary step, but I wanted a little insurance that the pastry wouldn't stick.) Place the pastry into the pan, then the cauliflower over the pastry, with the stuffing on the inside. Crimp the edges of the pastry close to the cauliflower, then smear the cauliflower with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pastry looks browned, sprinkling with parmesan cheese for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Let it rest for a few minutes, then use a serrated knife to serve. If using as a side dish, it should serve about 8 people. If using as a main course, it will serve about 4 people.