Truffled Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 5 ounces truffled pecorino cheese, grated, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 large head cauliflower, cored and separated into florets
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into butter; cook and stir until raw flour taste cooks off, 2 to 3 minutes.

Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture. Increase heat to medium-high; cook and stir until mixture thickens and comes to a simmer, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir truffled pecorino cheese, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg into milk mixture until cheese sauce is thick.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add cauliflower and cook until slightly tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer cauliflower to prepared baking dish. Spread cheese sauce evenly over cauliflower. Dust with bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh chives.