Well, to make up for yesterday’s cake (with real cake mix containing sugar and who knows what else?), I’ve got a nice low carb dinner today. I’m not actually Italian, but I’m from Long Island, and according to at least one of those “You Know You’re From Long Island If” listicles, everyone from Long Island is a little Italian, no matter their actual ethnicity. As such, I get very confused when I’m reading an allegedly “Italian” recipe that calls for cottage cheese and sour cream and stuff like that. This is super-easy, reasonably authentic considering that you’re using cauliflower instead of macaroni, and even JP, who is sick of cauliflower substituting for every starch on earth, really likes it, so what more of an endorsement do we need?
Cauliflower “Ziti”
12 oz cauliflower
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought – look for one low in sugar)
1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional: you can add cooked sausage (I usually use 2), cooked hamburger meat, or pepperoni if desired. You could probably also add cooked chicken, although I haven’t tried it.
Steam cauliflower florets on stovetop or microwave (I am totally addicted to those steam-in-microwave bags, but it’s up to you). While cauliflower is steaming, mix ricotta, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella in bowl. Add cauliflower and stir well. Taste, and if desired, add salt, pepper, oregano and garlic (if you bought sauce from the store, it may or may not be seasoned enough, and the cheeses and cauliflower tend to “dilute” the seasoning), and cooked meat, if using. This is what it will look like in the bowl.
Turn into round casserole dish and top with additional 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Eat and enjoy! You won’t even miss the macaroni (much)!
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