A French Recipe for Mac-and-Cheese // Gratin d'Alsace au Choux-Fleur

A great French recipe for ham!

Once upon a time, I used to collaborate with a local French chef; on otherwise-slow nights (say, a Tuesday or Wednesday), we’d come up with inexpensive menus that were “Everyday French,” rather than the gastronomic feasts he offered most other times.

One night, we realized we didn’t have a vegetarian option. Evening service was fast approaching, so the chef quickly whipped up a great pasta-cauliflower gratin, a dish from his native Alsace. It was a rich, warming treat that pleased vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

While the chef has long since returned to Europe, I still sometimes the make the dish. I add ham when I want something heartier, but omit it when I’m going meatless.

Alsatian Gratin with Cauliflower (and Ham, If You Like)

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets then cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces dried elbow macaroni (2 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
2 1/2 cups shredded Emmental, Gruyère, or Comté cheese (10 ounces)
1 cup diced smoked ham, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the cauliflower in a shallow baking pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake the cauliflower for 15 minutes or until just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. (It’s OK if the cauliflower is not yet tender, it will soften as it bakes later in the casserole.) Reduce oven to 350°F.

2. While the cauliflower bakes, in a large saucepan cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

3. For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper to taste, and the cayenne, making sure all of the flour is incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a wire whisk until combined. Cook and stir until thickened and beginning to boil; cook and stir 1 minute more. Add the cheese, stirring until melted.

4. Add sauce to the drained pasta using a rubber spatula to get all of sauce from pan. Stir to combine. Gently stir in the ham and the cauliflower.

5. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish, or divide among six (10-ounce) ramekins and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and top is golden, 20 to 25 minutes for the large casserole, about 20 minutes for the individual casseroles. Serve.