Sicilian Pasta With Roasted Caulifower

Sicilian Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower
From A Year in Lucy's Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes and Memorable Meals

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Roasting & pasta boiling time: 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower is “tooth tender”
Final cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 box pasta (250g/8oz) (Lucy used linguine, I used multigrain fusili)
8 cups cauliflower florets (I medium head)
½ cup olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 huge or 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp chopped anchovy fillets
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano - Reggiano) cheese, grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F/220°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to golden and becomes “tooth tender”. You don’t want it mushy for this extraordinary dish.

2. In the meantime, in a large Dutch oven, bring salted water to a boil. Once the cauliflower is almost ready, add the pasta and cook until al dente (follow your pasta package for timing). Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. While the pasta is cooking, heat ¼ cup or so of olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, chili pepper flakes, capers and anchovies and sauté for 3 minutes or until the garlic is pale gold and softened …Ruth’s note: it will smell divine). Add the cauliflower and lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Add the drained pasta to the skillet, add the fresh parsley, a little more olive oil (if needed) and grated cheese. Toss until the pasta is well coated with the sauce and the cauliflower is heated through.

Serve with a green salad, I liked it with a mix of spicy greens like arugula.