Most people have never had a sformato before so most people will not know what it is. A sformato is something that is like a mix of flan, soufflé, and quiche but without a crust. Most people say that it is Italian Flan. It is usually considered to be a side dish but can be a very light meal. It can be sweet or savory. It’s can be a lot of vegetables held together by cheese and eggs or sometimes a batter. I read somewhere (I forgot where) that sformato are usually never offered in Italian restaurants outside of Italy. In my research the majority of recipes that I came across for Sformato were mostly for spinach and cheese. I had a cauliflower to use so I made a sformato with cauliflower. I will be honest and admit that I did break the sformato getting it out of the pan. But then I put it together and it is fine. Most people don’t decorate their sformato like the way I did. Sformato get some herbs or a light sauce with them. I added some red sauce, pesto, cherry pepper slices, basil leaves and a few pine nuts. This sformato is considered to be a side dish so it makes 6-8 servings. Often sformato are cooked in individual serving pans…..(now I know why)…..I think the sformato will be less likely to break if you bake them in cup cake pans.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

1 medium cauliflower – cut into florets

water or vegetable stock (to boil cauliflower) (optional add parm cheese rinds if you have them)

2 cloves garlic (just for boiling the cauliflower)

2 Tablespoons vegetable base (for if you are using water…DON’T USE if using vegetable stock)

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

4 eggs – lightly beaten

15 oz ricotta cheese – drained

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg

1 lemon (just the zest)

non stick spray

semolina for dusting the pan (around two tablespoons)

Directions

Bring a sauce pot of either water with soup base or vegetable stock to a boil. Add garlic cloves and cauliflower. Add cheese rinds if you happen to have any around. Boil the cauliflower till very tender. Remove the garlic and cheese rinds. The cauliflower needs around 15 minutes) then drain (you might want to save liquid for making a soup). Blend up the cauliflower and put to the side. In a large mixing bowl mix together the parmesan, eggs, ricotta, pepper, nutmeg, and zest. Now add the cauliflower a little bit at a time till incorporated.

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray whatever pans that you are using with non stock spray.

Dust the pans with semolina.

Pour in the cauliflower mixture. Get the mixture level by banging the pan on the counter gently.

Place on the middle rack of the preheated 350 degree F oven till done. Timing will differ depending on what pan you are using. I used a bundt pan and mine took 35 minutes. If you do cup cake sized I am guessing that it will take much less time maybe as soon as 15 minutes.

The sformato should be eaten either room temperature or warmed up. I think that it is easiest to make the day before. Cut what ever portions that you need and reheat to serve.

You can dress up the sformato a bit if you like. I added my pesto, tomato sauce, fresh basil, cherry peppers and pine nuts. I think most people only dress with a few herbs and olive oil.

Enjoy!