A Note Before You Start
The Alfredo sauce for this dish can be made into a soup with a few adjustments, or as a base for cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower (about 5-6 cups of raw florets)
4 cups of shredded chicken from a cooked rotisserie chicken
1 8 oz package of sliced button mushroom (optional or whatever type of mushroom you like)
1 8 oz package of sliced shiitaki mushrooms (optional; but we happen to love mushrooms)
1 package (5 oz) of fresh spinach
Half a 16 oz package of linguine pasta (I broke the pasta into 3" pieces)
1TBSP salt
1/2 cup of diced onion (I tend to always use Vidalia onions)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 stick of unsalted room temperature butter - divided
1 TBSP olive oil
5 TBSP of flour
1 cup of whole milk (you can use any type of milk here: half & half, almond, etc. I don't recommend skim as your sauce will be too watery)
1 cup of store bought chicken stock
2/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation
For the Alfredo Sauce:
Step 1: Place 4 TBSP of softened butter in a mixing bowl and mash together with the flour, making a roux. This will be added to the sauce as a thickener.
Step 2: Cut the cauliflower into small (bite size) pieces.
Step 3: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil to cook the pasta.
Step 4: Add 1 TBSP of butter and 1 TBSP of olive oil to a saute pan and turn the heat on to medium. When the butter melts, add the diced onion and saute until translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
Step 5: Add the cauliflower florets to the onions and saute for another 2 minutes. Then add the the minced garlic and stir all together.
Step 6: Add both the chicken stock and the milk and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the ingredients for 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender. (Time will depend upon the size of the cauliflower florets).
Step 7: Bring the mixture back to a gentle boil and begin adding the roux mixture 1 TBSP at a time. Whisk in the remaining roux to thicken the mixture. Remove from the heat. Let cool for a bit as you prepare the entree portion.
For the Entree:
Step 8: Once the pasta water has come to a boil, add 1 TBSP of salt (carefully) and then add the pasta. Stir and cook according to the package instructions.
Step 9: While the pasta is cooking add 1 TBSP of butter and 1 TBSP of olive oil to your saute pan and cook your mushrooms. When almost cooked, add the package of fresh spinach and a 1/4 cup of water to wilt the spinach. Then turn off the heat.
Step 10: Put the cauliflower mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender, to carefully puree until the desired sauce consistency. If using a blender that has a removable portion of it's top, remove it to allow the steam to escape, but blend very slowly at first, being mindful of the escaping hot steam! If your sauce is too thick, you can always thin it out with either chicken stock or milk.
Step 11: Once the pasta has cooked, reserve a ladle full of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Add the chicken, spinach and mushrooms and the cauliflower alfredo sauce and warm on medium. Add the parmesan cheese and mix well.