Ingredients
Scale
- 12 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
- 2 large heads of cauliflower, cut into large florets
- 6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 tsp. salt
- 16 oz. gruyère cheese, shredded
- 2 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (the Italian’s secret spice ingredient)
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Ground paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚.
- Generously butter a 3-quart baking dish. spread the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and roast until just starting to brown around the edges but still a bit firm, about 20 minutes. remove from the oven and set aside until no longer steaming, about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚.
- Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the flour and stir to combine. Let cook until bubbling, about 1 minute. slowly whisking in the milk and heavy cream. Cook, stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and comes to a gentle simmer, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; add the salt and three-quarters of the gruyère and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Melt the remaining butter in a medium-sized skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg. Cook until bubbling, about 30 seconds.
- Add the panko and stir to coat completely in the butter. remove from the heat.
- Stir in the parmesan and remaining gruyère.
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower to the buttered baking dish. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle the panko mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with ground paprika for color.
- Bake until the panko is golden brown and the cauliflower is tender about 25 minutes.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
