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Cauliflower “Polenta” with Mushrooms

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 pound button or cremini mushrooms
  • Pepper
  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 large shallot
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 ounces Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese (1 cup grated)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Put 2 cups water and a big pinch of salt in a large pot over high heat.
  2. Trim and slice the mushrooms. Add them to the skillet as you work.
  3. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
  4. Trim and halve the cauliflower. With the flat side on the cutting board, chop each half into small bits. Add the cauliflower to the pot of water as you work.
  5. Bring the cauliflower to a boil, then lower the heat so the water bubbles steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is quite tender and the liquid thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry and sticks, add more water 1/4 cup at a time.
  6. Trim, peel, and slice the shallot.
    Strip the leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs and chop.
  7. When the mushrooms are lightly browned, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the shallot and rosemary. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  8. Grate 1 cup Parmesan.
  9. When the cauliflower breaks down and looks like porridge, remove it from the heat. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to purée it in the pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan and return it to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring and adding water if necessary to make the cauliflower steamy and loose enough to drop from a spoon like polenta. (If the mixture is too soupy, raise the heat and let some liquid bubble away for a couple minutes.) Taste and add more butter or salt if you like; keep warm.
  10. Return the mushrooms to medium heat until they sizzle. Spoon the cauliflower “polenta” into bowls, top with the mushrooms, and serve.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Chianti Cauliflower “Polenta” with Mushrooms Magenta polenta! Instead of using water to cook the cauliflower in Steps 1 and 3, substitute Chianti or another fruity red wine.

Cauliflower “Polenta” with Zucchini Instead of the mushrooms, trim 1 pound zucchini; slice crosswise into thin coins. Use 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley instead of the rosemary if you like. Cook and season the vegetables as you would the mushrooms.

Mashed Potatoes with Mushrooms or Zucchini Works with either the mushrooms in the main recipe or the previous variation. Substitute peeled baking potatoes like russets for the cauliflower. After cooking, mash by hand with a fork or potato masher—don’t use an immersion blender or they will get gummy. They may need 10 minutes more cooking time, depending on how small you chop them.