Vegetable side goes big on flavor, texture

As side dishes go, it’s hard to go wrong simply sauteing seasonal vegetables in a skillet with olive oil, an allium such as garlic, onion or shallot, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

I was about to do just that with some cauliflower, asparagus and peas in my refrigerator that needed to be cooked, but the thought of it just wasn’t moving me.

I wanted something more unctuous: a side that was richer, more exciting and more deeply flavorful to elevate the basic roast chicken I was planning to serve alongside it.

The answer came in the form of a creamy Parmesan sauce, made right in the skillet with the vegetables, which ultimately envelops them in rich, cheesy goodness.

And it does so in a more healthful way with thickened low-fat milk instead of cream, and a relatively modest amount of flavorpacked Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Using riced cauliflower (which you can obtain by grating the florets on the large-holed side of a box grater — or by purchasing it already riced) allows the vegetable to meld with the white sauce and provide an almost risotto-like texture to the dish.

Sweet peas and chopped asparagus add flecks of spring green, and a sprinkling of cheese treated to a minute or two under the broiler browns the top of the bubbling mixture. It all makes for a nice presentation.

I served mine right in the skillet on the table (with a towel wrapped around the hot handle).

It was exactly the kind of luxe dish I had hoped for as a partner for the chicken. It is so substantial, it would also work well in larger portions as a vegetarian main course.