Shell Pasta in Cauliflower Béchamel Sauce with Kale and Corn

Creamy and savory, this shell pasta in cauliflower béchamel sauce with kale and corn is a yummy, veggie-packed dinner. The light and silky béchamel sauce is dairy-free, vegan and oil-free, so feel free to drench your pasta with it.

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Béchamel sauce, or besciamella in Italian, is a white sauce traditionally made of butter, milk and flour. This "mother sauce" is used in many different dishes, like lasagne.

This cauliflower béchamel sauce is a veggie-packed, dairy-free, flour-free alternative that does not require fat to bring the sauce together, but is inspired by traditional white sauce. We've used it to smother shell pasta, kale and corn.

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

ingredients on counter: conchiglie medium shells pasta, chopped curly kale and frozen corn kernels

ingredients on counter: cauliflower florets, almond milk, ground black pepper, sea salt, garlic, ground nutmeg optional

Conchiglie shell pasta - shell pasta works really well with the creamy béchamel sauce, since the concave shape of the pasta scoops up the sauce, along with the small pieces of corn and kale.
Kale - Use chopped curly green or purple kale. Surprisingly delicious in pasta, we frequently add kale to our vegan mac and cheese, too. If you're not a fan of kale on it's own, give it a try with pasta. You might be surprised at it's tenderness and how well the slight bitterness pairs so well with the sweet corn and silky creamy pasta.
Corn - Use sweet corn kernels, either frozen or canned (drain them, if using canned)
Cauliflower - Fresh cauliflower makes up the bulk of the sauce, so it is a light and veggie-loaded option for a pasta sauce. Use pre-cut cauliflower florets to save time prepping.
Ground nutmeg - a pinch of nutmeg is authentic and traditional to béchamel sauces, but you can omit it, if you don't have it. Also, only use a pinch! Don't go overboard.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients:

Shell pasta - use medium shells (another name for Italian conchiglie) or another medium sized pasta, like casarecce, gemelli, penne, rotini, gigli or campanelle. You could also use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta instead, if you prefer.
Cauliflower - use frozen cauliflower florets/pieces instead of fresh
Garlic cloves - substitute with minced garlic (1-2 teaspoons) or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Almond milk - substitute with another unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk like soy milk. You'll want to use a neutral-tasting milk here.
Kale - substitute with spinach, swiss chard or other greens, broccoli or frozen California blend, frozen green peas, cooked asparagus or cooked mushrooms

overhead shot of bowl full of pasta with creamy cauliflower bechamel sauce

Here are some ideas for variations on this recipe:

Creamy broccoli pasta - use broccoli instead of kale and corn, like we did in this Gigli Pasta with Broccoli and Vegan White Sauce
Creamy asparagus pasta - use sautéed asparagus instead of kale and corn, like we did in this Vegan Creamy Mushroom Asparagus Pasta
Cajun creamy pasta - Mix in some of Evelyn's no-salt cajun seasoning or cajun salt for a creole twist on this creamy pasta

🔪 Instructions

Step-by-step instructions for making this creamy shell pasta.

Step 1: Make the cauliflower béchamel sauce, first. To do this, boil cauliflower until tender, then drain it and add to blender with plant-based milk, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Step 2: Blend sauce until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning or add more almond milk if it's too thick.

Step 3: Then, make the pasta with kale and corn. Boil pasta in well-salted water

Step 4: Add corn kernels to the pasta at the end of it's cooking time.

Step 5: Add chopped kale.

Step 6: Stir together and continue to cook until the pasta is done.

Step 7: Reserve some pasta water, then drain pasta and return to pot

Step 8: Add prepared sauce and a little pasta water.

Step 9: Stir everything together to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

cropped-Featured-Conchiglie-Pasta-in-Cauliflower-Béchamel-Sauce-with-Kale-and-Corn-3.jpg

Step 10: Serve hot!

Expert tips

Be sure to cook the cauliflower until it's tender, so you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
Reserve leftover cauliflower béchamel sauce to add to reheated pasta the next day, as the pasta will soak up most of the sauce as it is stored in the refrigerator.
Use a high speed blender to make your sauce silky smooth. I use a BlendTec, but another high speed blender like Vitamix or Ninja should work just fine.
For a more mild garlic flavor, you can boil it with the cauliflower, instead of adding it raw to the blender. Or, you can sauté it first.
If you're a garlic lover who measures garlic with your heart ♡ like me, then feel free to add more!

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

Make this pasta ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The pasta will dry out a bit in the refrigerator, so it's best to reserve some sauce to mix in when reheating the pasta in the microwave.

If you don't have any extra sauce, add a little plant-based milk to re-hydrate.

The cauliflower sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. It's good stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To re-heat, pour sauce in a sauce pan and heat on low heat.

❓ FAQ

Is béchamel sauce vegan?

No, traditional béchamel is made with butter and dairy milk, which are animal products and not vegan.

What is cauliflower béchamel?

Cauliflower béchamel is an alternative way of making traditional white sauce (also known as béchamel or alfredo sauce). It uses cauliflower as the base, instead of the typical flour, milk and butter.

🗺 Cultural influences

Conchiglie is a type of pasta from Italy. The name is derived from the Italian word for seashell: conchiglia. In Italy, you may find it in colorful varieties, with tomato or spinach extract coloring the dough.

Conchiglie corresponds to medium shells. Conchigliette corresponds to small shell pasta. Conchiglioni corresponds to jumbo shell pasta.

It is commonly known as "shells" or "seashells" in America. The concave shape of the pasta allows sauce to pool inside.

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