cheesy cauliflower farrotto 

At first the cooking team recipe brainstormer was thinking of doing a roasted cauliflower version of Jamie Oliver's veggie mac n' cheese with the mixed basket of various colored cauliflower and Romanesco florets we had grabbed from our local farmer's market, then perhaps instead a farrotto with roasted cauliflower, but when a web search turned up cheesy cauliflower farrotto, we compromised on the latter. Farrotto since it is a bit healthier than arborio  (white) rice risotto, and cheesy since this recipe is less cheese laden than any variation of mac n' cheese, and we are making every effort to be health conscious as we age into our final years, while still finding ways to satisfy that comfort food yearning.

We did half this recipe with the mixed cauliflower florets since they were about the equivalent of half a large head of cauliflower, and replaced the shallot by a small onion, while adding some leftover white wine after toasting the farro with the onion as in a risotto procedure. We used an Italian mushroom veggie cube for the broth component, and substituted asiago fresco for the fontina since it was on hand, a similar melting cheese. The result was tasty enough to repeat. What more can you ask than that for a random recipe execution?

ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

cooking spray

salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, diced (small onion?)

optional garlic to taste

optional white wine

2 cups farro

6 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed

8 oz fontina, grated

instruction

1. Heat oven to 450 °F.
2. Prep the cauliflower florets and spread them out in a single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy, tossing once halfway through. Set aside when done. Cut the florets into smaller bitesized pieces.
3. Heat water in a teapot if you intend to use a veggie broth cube.
4. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the shallot (or onion) and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Cook off the optional white wine to taste if exercising this option.
5. Stir in the farro and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1-2 cups of broth to the pot, enough to just cover the farro. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the water has evaporated. Add the remaining broth 1 cup at a time, only adding more when the previous batch has just evaporated, stirring frequently, until farro is tender.
6. Stir in the cauliflower and cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm.

notes

1. Joanne's recipe: https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2014/11/cheesy-farro-cauliflower-risotto.html
2. Our version of jamie oliver greens mac 'n' cheese with Romanesco!
3. Illustrations available.