Low Carb Cauliflower & Prosciutto Gratin


My husband and I decided that this summer we were going to try and reduce the amount of carbohydrates were taking in each day. Reducing carbs is such a hard one for me because everything I love has a ton of carbs...pasta, bread, pizza! Last week I was watching an episode of The Barefoot Contessa and saw a recipe using cauliflower that looked absolutely delicious! I looked up the recipe and tweaked it a bit to lower the carb count. What I came up with was this yummy cauliflower gratin. 

 
This dish can be used as a delicious appetizer served with toasted baguette slices or pita chips or as a side with your favorite grilled meat. Enjoy!

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower 
4 tablespoons good olive oil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces Ricotta cheese
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Paprika
Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the head of cauliflower into florets. Discard the center. Place the florets on a sheet pan, toss them with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every ten minutes or until the florets are tender and randomly browned. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
 
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3. Transfer the florets to a large mixing bowl and add the Ricotta, stirring to coat the florets evenly. Stir in the Gruyère, prosciutto, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. 


4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, butter a 7" x 11" glass baking dish. Add the cauliflower mixture to the dish and sprinkle with Parmesan, parsley, and paprika.


5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes and broil the top for another 3 minutes. 


6. Serve with pita chips or over grilled chicken, steak, pork, or fish. This dish can be served as an appetizer or as a side. Serve warm.