This cauliflower pasta bake doesn’t actually have pasta in it, which makes it a yummy low-starch dish that freezes especially well. It tastes just like any baked pasta dish–you really won’t notice the actual pasta is missing! In other low-carb recipes, you’ll note I tend to mix the cauliflower with some low-carb pasta, but in this case the cauly holds up well on its own.
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 x-large head of cauliflower
1 package cremini mushrooms, rinsed well, and loosely chopped into large chunks
Lots of fresh garlic (~ 6-10 medium cloves), minced
1 whole sweet onion, chopped
16 oz organic 93% ground beef
2/3 jar (24 oz) low-sugar marinara or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup fresh (or less than 1/2 cup already grated) Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups organic shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional: low-fat cottage cheese for topping
Directions
- Roast the cauliflower ahead of time: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a large roasting dish. Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets, place in a sealable bag with 1 tsp of olive oil and sea salt, seal the bag, and then massage the oil and salt to cover all florets. Roast for 30 mins, stir, and roast 15 min more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and grease a 13×9-inch glass baking dish.
- Microwave the cremini mushrooms in a microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes, until soft and mostly cooked. Drain and squeeze dry.
- Brown the garlic, onion, and ground beef with just a tiny bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until the beef is cooked through. Drain.
- Stir in roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan cheese.
- Spoon into the 13×9-inch baking dish, top with the mozzarella cheese, and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly.
- Serve with optional cottage cheese.
