This orecchiette dish combines the nutty flavor of pine nuts with the subtle sweetness of cauliflower and the punch of garlic.
Cauliflower and
Orecchiette Pasta with Pine Nuts
Prep Time: 20 min -- Cook Time -- 3 hour -- Serves 4
Source: Tinkskitchen.com
Ingredients
- 4 oz orecchiette pasta
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley or basil, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orecchiette according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until they are golden and tender, tossing halfway through.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing until the garlic is golden but not burnt, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the roasted cauliflower to the skillet with the garlic, tossing to coat. If the skillet is too dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Add the drained orecchiette to the skillet. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. If the pasta seems too dry, add more pasta water, a little at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in the toasted pine nuts, reserving a few for garnish if you like.
- Serve the pasta hot, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs if using.
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Notes:
April 9, 2016
It's fun to make things up and then eat them and they actually are good. I didn't use hardly any of the pasta water, as I actually wanted this more dry than wet. Make sense? Anyway, got a new dish, thought it looked great in the photo.
All Photographs Copyright Tink's Kitchen and JSGrey
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