Cauliflower Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Make Mac ‘n’ Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Turn on convection fan, if you have one.
2. Bring large pot of salted water to a furious boil. Add pasta and cook until tender yet still slightly chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and reserve.
3. Toss half of cauliflower florets and chopped stem into pot. Add milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to high-speed blender. Add garlic, mustard, paprika and salt. Carefully purée until smooth. (Hot liquids are dangerous — they can violently erupt. For safety, drape kitchen towel over blender, start slowly, then gradually increase speed.)
4. Return sauce to pot. Reserve 1 cup of cheese for crust. Whisk in remaining cheese, until smooth. Stir in pasta and remaining cauliflower florets. Transfer to 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Make Crust and Bake

1. Toss butter into small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl gently as it melts, steams, foams and lightly browns. Remove from heat and add caraway seeds, swirling and gently toasting until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Break bread into food processor and pulse, grinding into rough crumbs. Add butter mixture and reserved 1 cup of cheese. Pulse just enough to mix into coarse crumbs.
3. Spread crumbs in thick, even layer over mac ‘n’ cheese. Bake until goldenbrown and bubbly, about 45 minutes.