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Home » Popular » vegetarian » Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

February 15, 2012 by Savoring Italy

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A recipe for a creamy and cheesy Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin with a crispy topping. It starts out with a roux, béchamel, oodles of cheese and breadcrumbs that help form a crispy top crust.

overhead image of purple cauliflower and potato gratin

It’s been years since I’ve seen a secret note neatly folded up with an important message. I remember passing notes back in elementary school and sometimes a note would say: Do you like me? Check yes or no.
 

Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

 
In most of the notes there would be: Who do you like in class? And in some notes there would be: List your top 3 favorite colors.
 
My list would usually have pink, purple, and blue. Pink was always number one. Today after looking again at these broccoli photos, I’ve promoted purple to the number one status. 
 
Wow! The color of this broccoli was just eye-popping incredible! And somehow getting your kids to eat a purple vegetable is so much easier than getting them to eat a green one. Although, oddly enough, broccoli is one of my children’s favorite veggies. Maybe because a clever friend told them when they were wee ones that the broccoli florets were fairy trees where the fairies lived. 
 
I had this cauliflower in my fridge for over a week. It’s smell was beckoning me to hurry and make something with it. Cauliflower has a pretty funky smell after a while. As I was pondering what to do with it’s violet gorgeousness, I settled on a simple and wonderful pasta dish I usually make. 
 
Unsatisfied with this safe and tasty dinner idea, I changed my mind.

overhead image of purple cauliflower

 
I encounter a heck of a lot of deliciousness through Twitter, Facebook, Foodbuzz, and Stumbleupon. I tend to make a mental bookmark of some things that have really caught my eye, make my stomach stir with embarrassingly loud pangs of hunger, or that makes me want to lick the screen (I know…super gross!).
 
overhead image of cheese and cream casserole
I like to think of myself as a person that embodies extreme amounts of self-control. But sometimes I just cave from the desire; like on Monday night when I made this gratin I saw my talented friend Jamie from Life’s a Feast over across the Atlantic make one day in France. I pictured her and her family eating this together in their sweet apartment in Nantes on a cold winter’s evening. Maybe they were arguing about who would get the last, irresistible portion while they drank another glass of delicious wine and shared another loaf of crusty and perfect French bread. 
 
I’ve made potato gratins before but never one with cauliflower. I knew I had to make this for my loved ones. It is lovely eating it as a side dish with roasted meat. We ate it as a side dish with Fabrizio’s incredible steak he made for us on Monday night. It was our family Valentine’s Day dinner that we celebrated the day before Valentine’s.  I made this Cornmeal Peasant Boule, this gratin, and a banana/persimmon bread for dessert.
 

I don’t need a day to remind me how much I love the people dear to me. It’s these meals together with the ones I love that I cherish the most.These meals together make my stomach content and my heart very happy.

overhead image of cheese and vegetables in white casserole
You could make this gratin with white cauliflower or even with just potatoes and the besciamella. If you will use only potatoes, I would double the amount. I used my besciamella recipe and the portion was perfect for a 10×6 casserole dish. This dish is incredible. I would’ve been happy eating it alone with a great salad. Or even alone without a salad. It smells heavenly while it’s baking and good luck waiting for it to cool before taking that first cheesy and dreamy bite.

Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

1 cauliflower head (I used a purple one), cut into bite-sized pieces
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup Gruyère cheese cut into small chunks (or whatever soft cheese you’d like)
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Besciamella Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
teaspoon nutmeg

la besciamella directions:

 
Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until incorporated. The flour will be very dry. Raise the heat to medium-high and in 1/2 cup portions, gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. The besciamella will continue to thicken even when you remove from the heat. If it seems to dense, whisk in a little bit more of mil. Whisk in the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

vegetables:

Preheat oven to 420F. Sauté’ the onion in a large frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil until translucent and golden brown.

In the meantime, boil the cauliflowers and potatoes in two different medium sauce pans until they are tender. The vegetables should still have a little crunch and it should only take a few minutes. Be sure to not overcook the vegetables.

Drain the veggies and place in a large bowl. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Both vegetables will continue cooking in casserole with the besciamella sauce.
overhead image of purple cauliflower onions and potatoes

 
Spoon a portion of the besciamella over the bottom of the casserole. Layer the vegetables on top. Spread the rest of the besciamella on top. Toss on the Gruyère cheese and sprinkle on the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 
 
overhead image of cheesy casserole
 

Bake at 420 F for about 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown on top.

buon appetito! Hope you are having a fabulous week!

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Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

A recipe for a creamy and cheesy Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin with a crispy topping. It starts out with a roux, béchamel, oodles of cheese and breadcrumbs that help form a crispy top crust. Total comfort food.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cauliflower, gratin, vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower head I used a purple one, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 medium sized potatoes peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 medium onion sliced thin
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 cup Gruyère cheese cut into small chunks or whatever soft cheese you’d like
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Besciamella Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups whole milk
  • teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

  • For the Besciamella (white sauce)
  • Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until incorporated. The flour will be very dry. Raise the heat to medium-high and in 1/2 cup portions, gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. The besciamella will continue to thicken even when you remove from the heat. If it seems to dense, whisk in a little bit more of mil. Whisk in the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • For the Vegetables
  • Preheat oven to 420F. Sauté’ the onion in a large frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil until translucent and golden brown.
  • In the meantime, boil the cauliflowers and potatoes in two different medium sauce pans until they are tender. The vegetables should still have a little crunch and it should only take a few minutes. Be sure to not overcook the vegetables.
  • Drain the veggies and place in a large bowl. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Both vegetables will continue cooking in casserole with the besciamella sauce.
  • Spoon a portion of the besciamella over the bottom of the casserole. Layer the vegetables on top. Spread the rest of the besciamella on top. Toss on the Gruyère cheese and sprinkle on the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
  • Bake at 420 F for about 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown on top.
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
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Comments

  1. Sara{OneTribeGourmet} says

    February 15, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    Bella, thank you for posting this recipe..I'm always looking for gratin recipes since I became a vegetarian…love the purple cauliflower & potatoes combo! Yum!

    Reply
  2. Ana Helena says

    February 15, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    Gratin dishes are delicious. Using purple cauliflower was such a great idea. It makes this dish look so beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Grubarazzi says

    February 15, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    Ohhh, this is such a cool color combination. I bet this is divine.

    Reply
  4. Becky says

    February 15, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    I love the color purple, so I will have to make this wonderful veggie gratin. the purple color is so unexpected, but I'm sure that it tastes so good..1

    Reply
  5. Christine's Pantry says

    February 16, 2012 at 12:04 am

    I love the color of the cauliflower. This sounds good.

    Reply
  6. Kristina says

    February 16, 2012 at 12:14 am

    This is such a beautiful dish, I love the purple, it makes the gratin look so elegant!

    Reply
  7. Kim - Liv Life says

    February 16, 2012 at 2:50 am

    I just discovered the purple cauliflower last weekend at the market! well, I'd seen them before, just hadn't ever bought one. I picked one up and have been wondering what to do with it and this looks like it just might please everyone!

    Reply
  8. Farmgirl Gourmet says

    February 16, 2012 at 3:56 am

    YUM Lora. What a deliciously colorful gratin. Love it.

    Reply
  9. A Thought For Food says

    February 16, 2012 at 4:41 am

    What a great idea to use purple cauliflower in the gratin! I just love the colors!

    Reply
  10. Happy When Not Hungry says

    February 16, 2012 at 4:53 am

    Wow that purple cauliflower is beautiful! I don't think I've ever tried it. Def will have to give this gratin a try. Looks delicious!

    Reply
  11. Lisa says

    February 16, 2012 at 7:27 am

    Lora , not only is it absolutely beautiful with that purple cauliflower peeking out from all the creamy, cheesy goodness, but I have this slotted in for Sundeay dinner with brisket. I'll post a photo on Twitter when I make it – I'm so craving veggie gratins now – how did you know? 😉

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      February 16, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Lisa, baby, you make it then all three of us will have passed the dish around – and can pretend we are sitting down to a meal together 🙂

    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:45 pm

      Yes, Jamie. We could pretend we are all enjoying a meal together. 🙂

  12. Jamie says

    February 16, 2012 at 11:19 am

    Lora, cara, bella, I am thrilled that you grabbed something from my blog, out of my kitchen and prepared it for your little family. And I agree with you about sitting down together as a family, enjoying a meal, talking, laughing is such a special moment that should be lived as often as possible. And an earthy, humble, simple yet luxurious Cauliflower Gratin is the perfect family dish. Beautiful, eye-popping color for one of our favorite vegetables! One day we all will enjoy a meal together!

    Reply
  13. Yuri - Chef Pandita says

    February 16, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Such gorgeous color! I've seen it at the supermarkets here but they don't carry it all the time. Gratin looks so comforting, Lora. Besos <3

    Reply
  14. vianney says

    February 16, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Goregous!! I bet my girls owuld love this, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Lory B. says

    February 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    Brava!!! Che bel post!! Mi piace!!!
    Io non festeggio San Valentino, adoro però i cuori tutto l'anno!!! Niente ristoranti affollati, ma tanto amore e calore di casa!!!
    Splendido colore!! Piatto meraviglioso!!!
    Ti mando un bacio grosso grosso!!!!

    Reply
    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:44 pm

      grazie, Lory!si…anche qui-tanto amore e calore di casa:)un bacione!

  16. The Mom Chef says

    February 16, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    I love it. I'll bet I could get Dudette to eat zucchini if it was colored purple or blue. How do they come up with these vegetables? Your gratin is perfect; just the right combination of creamy and gooey.

    Reply
  17. Mary says

    February 16, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    This really sounds delicious. This was my first visit to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that.I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary

    Reply
    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:43 pm

      Thank you for your kind comment, Mary. I appreciate you coming over and for your compliment:)Have a great rest of the week!

  18. Katrina {In Katrina's Kitchen} says

    February 16, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    Goodness! I'm coming over!! I bet there aren't any leftovers though 🙁

    Reply
  19. Julia says

    February 16, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    A fabulous meal with the ones I love is pretty much the perfect meal! I love the popping purple, it really does make me consider actual liking the color purple (I'm a red kinda girl, not a pink and purple girl).

    Reply
    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:43 pm

      Red is fun! I agree…nothing beats a great meal with the ones you love:)

  20. Karriann says

    February 16, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    Yum! I'm sitting here drooling 😉

    "Spice it Up"

    Reply
  21. Feast on the Cheap says

    February 16, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    Oh yum, what a great side. This is amazing – I never cook with purple cauli but it's so beautiful

    Reply
  22. LetMeEatCake Eat With Me! says

    February 16, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    what a gorgeous gratin! the color really pops!

    Reply
    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:42 pm

      I agree. The color of the cauliflower is incredible:)

  23. Lauren at Keep It Sweet says

    February 16, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    This is definitely the prettiest gratin I've seen!

    Reply
    • Savoring Italy says

      February 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm

      thanks so much, Lauren:)

  24. Carolyn says

    February 16, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    Purple cauli is so darn pretty…love the way it's peaking out from the cheese!

    Reply
  25. Jennifer | Mother Thyme says

    February 16, 2012 at 8:22 pm

    What a beautiful recipe! I love the pop of color in this delicious dish.

    Reply
  26. Priscilla - She's Cookin' says

    February 16, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    So pretty! That purple peeking out from under a blanket of cheese, omg… stop me now.

    Reply
  27. Reeni says

    February 17, 2012 at 2:33 am

    Gratins are so irresistible! This is so gorgeous with the purple cauliflower! I'm sorry you had problems with my site Lora! I've been having issues. I did some trouble shooting and hope it's cleared up now. xoxo

    Reply
  28. Gingered Whisk says

    February 17, 2012 at 3:32 am

    I've been wanting to make something with purple cauliflower for a while now (its just so pretty!) and I think this is it! This gratin looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Gingered Whisk says

      February 17, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Also, how the heck did you get a reply button on your comments? I've been trying to get one on my own blog for forever now and can't figure out how to do it!

  29. Shulie says

    February 17, 2012 at 4:26 am

    Great looking gratin, Lora, I could have been happy with it tonight since I didn't cook much:(. Love purple cauliflower!! 🙂 Sounds like a fantastic Valentine's Day.

    Reply
  30. Marina {Yummy Mummy) says

    February 17, 2012 at 5:57 am

    Okay, I am so making purple cauliflower this weekend. I kind of forgot about it! It's such a great winter veggie and your recipe looks amazing. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  31. SweetSugarBelle says

    February 17, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    The color is gorgeous!!! I could eat this dish as a main course also. Your "second thought" dinner idea couldn't have been better, although I'm curious about the simple pasta dish also!

    Reply
  32. Marnely Rodriguez-Murray says

    February 17, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Love this, looks so comforting and perfect for the cool winter months!

    Reply
  33. Tummy Belt says

    February 17, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Purple cauliflower could be considered an interesting ingredient. Thank you for posting this recipe.

    Reply
  34. Maria says

    February 17, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    Love the purple cauliflower!

    Reply
  35. Paula says

    February 17, 2012 at 9:17 pm

    Two of my nieces are mad about purple, they'd love the photo of the cauliflower. I love it too and adding in to potato gratin is a great idea! The dish looks really tasty.

    Reply
  36. Tickled Red says

    February 17, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    That looks amazing! I so need purple cauliflower in my life.

    Reply
  37. Kiri W. says

    February 18, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    Mmm, I lpve purple cauliflower, and this makes the whole dish so colorful 🙂 Looks fantastically yummy.

    Reply
  38. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

    February 18, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    i love purple cauliflower. first time I bought it didn't quite know what to expect and since then I rarely buy the white one.
    this dish sounds great Lora! i bet it disappeared in a heart beat!

    Reply
  39. Chic & Gorgeous Treats says

    February 21, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    I have seen purple cauliflower in our supermarkets here but didn't quite know what to do with it. And your recipe is the answer to my curiosity. I love a good potato gratin, and adding a vege to it is just perfect! xoxo, Jo

    Reply

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Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. We work hard to create recipes that are inclusive of many sorts of diets, but do not follow one diet. Read More

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