Cauliflower with Penne

Recipe PREP 10 min COOK 35 min

Cauliflower with Penne

PREP 10 min COOK 35 min

Description

Cauliflower stars in this hearty yet light pasta dish, acting as both sauce and ingredient. This relies on an old Roman trickle where you boil cauliflower and pasta together in one pot, then sauté them with garlic and pepper for a creamy sauce. With equal parts cauliflower and pasta, this dish offers a nutritious balance of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

NOTE

Pro-tip: Create a similar veggie-based pasta sauce using broccoli or zucchini.

Ingredients

6 to 8 Servings Makes

1 head (525 g) cauliflower
1 lb (450 g) penne
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (44 g) pickled hot banana or cherry peppers
1 handful (10 g) flat-leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While it’s heating, cut the head of cauliflower into florets. Cut the largest ones in half or quarters so they’re not huge compared to the smallest. Add the cauliflower to the water and note the time.
Step 2

About 8 minutes from when you started the cauliflower cooking, add the penne to the same pot and give it a good stir to keep the pasta from sticking. Put the pickled peppers in whatever bowl you want to serve the pasta.
Step 3

After 6 more minutes add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. When it’s shimmering, add the garlic, stirring well. As soon as the garlic starts to color, use a spider or slotted spoon to add all the cauliflower and pasta to the sauté pan. Toss it all well, adding a ladle of the pasta cooking water, and let it keep cooking until the pasta is just shy of al dente. Add more pasta water as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 4

Toss in the parsley and oregano; stir well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Transfer the pasta to the serving bowl, toss to mix in the peppers, and enjoy.