This keto cauliflower alla vodka casserole recipe is hearty and satisfying, but without the carbs and gluten in a traditional penne alla vodka.
If you’re making your vodka sauce from scratch (this is my favorite recipe), it’s the perfect way to use up some of those ripe, summer tomatoes – but you can also use a good quality store bought sauce like I did for expediency (read: get it into your face faster!)
Mr. Hungry and I have always been huge fans of Penne alla Vodka and have eaten it in some of the best restaurants in New York, including the very exclusive Rao’s in Harlem thanks to a friend who works for someone with a table there (everything we ate that night was amazing by the way.)
After going low carb and gluten free, Penne alla Vodka is one of the things I miss most when we eat out at Italian restaurants now. Mr. Hungry orders it often still and it’s hard for me to resist every time – if I’m being honest sometimes I don’t, but I usually regret it the next day.
Anyway, this low carb penne alla vodka casserole recipe using cauliflower to stand in for the pasta is a surprisingly good substitute – just as hearty and satisfying as the real thing in my opinion. I added loads of Parmesan cheese and I think it really makes it, so don’t skimp there and use a good quality cheese for the best flavor.
Another important note is to make sure your cauliflower is very well drained before adding it to the casserole or you’ll end up with a bland, watery sauce. I microwaved my cauliflower, which dries it out nicely, but even then I could have let it drain in a colander after cooking for a bit.
In fact I wish I had, because the next day I had to drain some liquid out of the casserole that had leached out of the cauliflower overnight. Still delicious, just diluted a little – so be sure to dry out your cauliflower as much as possible before mixing it with the sauce.
This is the perfect low carb vegetarian main meal or side dish, but you could also add cooked chicken or shrimp to this recipe to make it even more hearty and turn it into a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.
Even Mr. Hungry was surprised at how good it smelled – he made the statement “you can’t smell the cauliflower at all” which is high praise because the man really detests cauliflower in all forms and can’t even stand the smell of it when I cook it for myself.
If I could actually get him to eat it then I’d really be celebrating, but…baby steps.
This is definitely one of my best low carb cauliflower recipes to date, and that’s saying something because the Pepperoni Pizza Cauliflower Casserole and Jalapeno Popper Cauliflower Casserole recipes are both really popular here on IBIH.
I expect this amazing cauliflower recipe to jump to the front of the pack pretty quickly though and I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback in the comments if you try it!
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Cheesy Cauliflower alla Vodka Casserole – Low Carb
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 generous 1 cup servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This penne alla vodka recipe uses cauliflower instead of pasta to make it low carb and gluten free. Easy and delicious, it’s just as good as the real thing!
Ingredients
- 8 cups cooked cauliflower florets, well drained
- 2 cups vodka sauce
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 slices Provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, vodka sauce, heavy whipping cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat well.
- Transfer into a 9 x 13 baking dish (or equivalent) and top with slices of Provolone (or mozzarella) cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is completely melted.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Top with chopped fresh basil and serve.
Notes
Approx. nutrition info per serving: 214 calories, 14g fat, 6g net carbs, 12g protein
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Keto Side Dish
- Cuisine: Italian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 214
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
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Charlene says
This was SO good. It was the end of a long day and I just didn’t have the energy to make the sauce from scratch. Found a low-carb jar of spicy arrabiata and used that. Dumped the jar in a small pot and added 2 T whipping cream, 2 T butter, splash of vodka, parmesan, salt, pepper and basil. Used a whole head of cauliflower. Didn’t have provolone so I used asiago.
I was afraid it was going to taste pretty bland, but it was really good. Will make again. Thank you.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Charlene, I’m so happy you were able to make this work for you!
Kaminsky Becky says
This recipe was excellent. My hubs who does not even care for cauliflower commented he really liked it. I did cook the cauliflower uncovered In the microwave to remove the moisture. I then added a chopped jalapeño, minced garlic & crumbled bacon to the sauce I also added a rotisserie chicken. The red pepper flakes added a really nice spice. The sauce was nice and creamy.
Will definitely be making this again very soon.