Spiked Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese

As a kid, macaroni meant a bright orange bowlful of yummy stuff. It didn't matter what it was or that the cheese came powdered and prepacked. It was orange. It was gooey. And it was good. I was always a bit disappointed by "homemade" macaroni. The color was off, something was off, it just wasn't quite right. I steered clear of the stuff for ages. I'm not sure exactly what finally convinced me to give it another shot (probably some combination of my mother's fantastic cooking and a bit of culinary maturation), but now I count it among my favorites.

Commonly, homemade macaroni is made with a béchamel sauce. Try swapping out the sauce for sour cream & dijon mustard. It may sound a tad odd, but it gives the dish and unexpected bright flavor. Not to mention, it cuts down on some of those pesky calories that everyone is trying to avoid this time of year. So you can have your cake macaroni and eat it too!

Spiked Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese, serves 6

12 oz macaroni
1 1/2 c. low fat sour cream
1/2 c. 2% milk
1 1/2 c. extra sharp cheddar, grated
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. pimenton (smoked paprika)
1 tsp. sriracha sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven up to 400F. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, salt the water & bring it to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes or so. Meanwhile, toss the parsley & pimentone with the bread crumbs and set aside. In the last few minutes of cooking, toss the cauliflower florets in with the boiling pasta. Drain the pasta & cauliflower and set aside. Return the pot to medium heat & drizzle with olive oil. Once warm, add the onion, salt & pepper, & saute until translucent. Return the pasta & cauliflower to the pot with the onion. Then, add the cheese, dijon, & sour cream & combine. Once combined put in a 8" baking dish and top with bread crumbs, drizzle with olive oil, & dot with syracha sauce (use this sparingly because it has quite a kick!). Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Recipe adapeted from Real Simple, Feb. '09