Roasted Cauliflower Sformato

A sformato is a savory custard like pudding. You can make it in a ring mold, a gratin dish or in individual ramekins for a dinner party. 

Any vegetable works, especially zucchini and spinach. It's like making a quiche, really. A traditional Italian sformato uses boiled vegetables, but I prefer the depth of flavor from roasted vegetables.

These are sensational. They make a lovely presentation, and taste good warm or cold. You can make them the day before, then reheat them in a water bath to loosen them out of the ramekins.

I did not use butter in my recipe, I sprayed the ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.


Roasted Cauliflower Sformato

(makes 4 small ramekins or 8 x 10 gratin dish)

1/2 head of leftover roasted cauliflower (recipe below)
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
pinch of salt & pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Mash the cooked cauliflower in the bowl until desired consistency (I like mine chunky).
Add the eggs, milk and flour and beat together with the cauliflower.
Add the cheese, salt & pepper, and nutmeg.
Spray 6 oz. ramekins or gratin dish with PAM (or grease with butter), and pour in the mixture.

Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and carefully pour water up near the tops of the ramekins, to create a bain-marie (hot water bath). The water will prevent the mixture from forming into a cake, and will be a custard instead.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 35-40 minutes.
CAREFULLY remove the ramekins from the hot water bath and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto plates.

It is actually prettier if you leave the darker side up, but then it isn't a pudding, more like a souffle. I'll leave it up to you (or down!).

Cook's Notes: You can drizzle tomato sauce or pesto on top for some color, but these were perfect on their own!

Roasted Cauliflower 

Cauliflower is the most misunderstood vegetable in the U.S.
It's kind of ugly to begin with and it seems that the only way I ate it growing up was choking on it boiled, or with a canned cheese sauce. Kill me now.

In Italy it seems to be a popular and highly respected vegetable.
The Italians know how to make me love this vegetable.

During the winter months, I roast cauliflower weekly at 400F with just some kosher salt and olive oil. It becomes sweet and nutty.   Sort of like me.

For an extra treat, after taking the baking sheet out of the oven, throw in some capers, a dash of red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan cheese.