Conchiglie Pasta in Cauliflower Béchamel Sauce with Kale and Corn
Creamy and savory, this conchiglie pasta in cauliflower béchamel sauce with kale and corn is as yummy as it is healthy. The creamy and light béchamel sauce is dairy-free, vegan and oil-free, so feel free to drench your pasta with it.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: conchiglie pasta in cauliflower béchamel sauce with kale and corn
Start making the cauliflower béchamel sauce first: Add cauliflower and whole garlic cloves to medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and gently boil the cauliflower until it is fork tender.
1 whole head of cauliflower
Meanwhile, for the pasta, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook conchiglie (shell) pasta according to package instructions.
16 ounces conchiglie pasta
For the kale and corn: When pasta has 2 minutes left to cook, stir in the kale and corn to allow it cook along with the pasta.
4 cups kale, 12 ounces sweet corn kernels
Drain cauliflower and garlic. Transfer drained cauliflower and garlic to blender, along with salt, pepper, nutmeg (if using) and almond milk. Blend until completely smooth and thick.
1 whole head of cauliflower, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 2-3 cloves garlic, pinch nutmeg, ½ cup almond milk
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta. Drain pasta, kale and corn in large colander and then return to pot.
Place pot over low heat. Pour enough of the cauliflower béchamel sauce into the pasta to coat everything. You may or may not have some leftover. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water, if needed. Stir and then taste it. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Turn off heat. Serve hot.
Notes
Use any remaining béchamel sauce to stir into leftovers, as the pasta will soak up the sauce and be drier the next day. If you don't have any leftover, use almond milk to moisten any leftover pasta.