Cauliflower + Anchovy Pasta
Yield 4
Note: I love the pairing of cauliflower with anchovies, but it works well with other vegetables. Fennel cut in chunks or broccoli are good options.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of Cauliflower, but in small florets
- 400 grams / 14 oz short pasta (whole grain rigatoni if you have it)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 8 - 10 anchovies, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and then, after 3 minutes add the cauliflower. If you’re using pasta that takes a long time to cook, you may want to wait 5 minutes to add the cauliflower. You definitely want the cauliflower to be well cooked.
- In the meantime in a large bowl pour the olive oil. Add the garlic, red pepper and anchovies. Using a wooden spoon, break the anchovies up, mixing them with the oil and garlic to form a kind of ‘dressing’.
- When pasta is cooked al dente , drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta and cauliflower to the bowl, mixing well. If it seems too dry, add a bit of the cooking water. But you probably won’t need to, since the cauliflower is wet already. Add the parsley and serve with more hot pepper for those that want it.
Recipe by Elizabeth Minchilli at https://www.elizabethminchilli.com/2021/02/cauliflower-anchovy-pasta/