Starting the new year with plant power means more than green smoothies. Cozy up to 2023 with creamy, comforting cauliflower pasta.
Cauliflower, once dismissed, overcooked, or both, is having its moment thanks to the keto craze and people’s carb phobia. It started with commercial cauliflower pizza crust. Cauli flatbread, cauli crackers, cauli pasta and more quickly followed. This recipe is for cauliflower pasta, but, honey, not like you find in stores. This is pasta at its most primal, rustic, and luscious. The sauce uses every bit of the cauliflower, from thick stem and core to ruffly florets. Nothing is wasted, there are no weird additives, just plantbased pleasure. It’s Veganuary, guys, I wouldn’t let you down.
How to Make
- Set cauliflower in a steamer basket.
- Steam cauliflower above a large pot of simmering water for 20 minutes or until cauliflower turns fluffy and falling-apart tender.
- Pour the water out of the pot, wipe the pot dry and add olive oil.
- Add chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 4 minutes, until garlic is golden and fragrant.
- Add the wine or broth.
- Crush the saffron stamens, add to the pot, and stir to combine. The saffron should give the liquid a rosy glow.
- Add steamed cauliflower and mash the whole business, creating a thick sauce. Season with sea salt.
- Continue mashing with a fork or large mixing spoon so you get something deliciously plush, rustic and low-tech. Or purée it into silkiness with an immersion blender or with a food processor if you’re that way inclined.
- In a separate large pot, cook pasta just until al dente.
- Drain well and toss the pasta with cauliflower sauce.
- Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Top with chopped parsley and toasted bread crumbs, better known as poor man’s Parmesan.
Cauliflower is truly keto king. This brassica is low in carbohydrates and calories, high in fiber and antioxidants, it’s gluten-free and available pretty much all year.
There’s nothing wrong with your basic white supermarket specimen, but cauliflower varietals come in a Mardi Gras of colors, gold, purple and green. Not only are they IG-worthy, but these heirloom varietals also have amped-up flavors, ranging from vegetal to buttery.
Unlike many cauli products on the market, cauliflower pasta is easy and additive-free. You don’t need to be a food scientist to make it. More to the point, it’s a recipe you’ll enjoy.
I know the internet is heavily trafficked with cauliflower “steak” recipes, but they always remind me of a brain CT scan. And, okay, I’ll say it — cauli “rice” is meh.
Rather than the next new cauliflower thing, this is a riff on an old Italian recipe. Like so many of the recipes I like, it lets produce shine.
The pasta can be of your choosing, be it traditional semolina, gluten-free options like cauliflower or pea or whatever moves you. It’s the sauce itself that matters.
Cauliflower is mild-tasting, so it lends itself well to a little herbal assistance. My husband gifted me at Christmas with saffron from Heray, which sources sustainably and supports Afghani growers, so it’s both elegant and ethical. Just a few stamens infuse this dish with saffron’s sensual, earthy low notes.
If saffron’s not your thing, substitute a handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as sage or basil.
Toasted breadcrumbs add a little fat, crunch and fun. In Italy, they’re known as poor man’s Parmesan.
To make:
- Whiz a slice or two of stale bread in a food processor to form crumbs.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with just a lick of olive oil. Mince one garlic clove. Sauté and stir for a minute or so, unless the garlic starts to become golden and translucent. Add breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Toast breadcrumbs and stir, till they darken and smell toasty.
- I like to stir in a heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast at the end for a cheesy finish.
If you’re a member of Club Keto and want to skip the crumbs, toasted crushed keto-friendly nuts like almonds or walnuts are welcome replacements.
Cauliflower Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 generous pinch saffron
- 1 generous pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ cup white wine
- 16 ounces whole wheat penne
- handful fresh chopped parsley
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Set cauliflower in a steamer basket.
- Steam cauliflower above a large pot of simmering water for 20 minutes or until cauliflower turns fluffy and falling-apart tender.
- Pour the water out of the pot, wipe dry, then add the olive oil.
- When the oil is heated through, add chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 4 minutes, until garlic is golden and fragrant.
- Add the wine or broth.
- Crush the saffron stamens, add to the pot, and stir to combine. The saffron should give the liquid a rosy glow.
- Add steamed cauliflower and mash the whole business.creating a thick sauce. Season with sea salt.
- Continue mashing with fork or large mixing spoon so you get something deliciously plush, rustic and low-tech. Or purée it into silkiness with an immersion blender or with a food processor if you’re that way inclined.
- In a separate large pot, cook pasta just until al dente.
- Drain well and toss the pasta with cauliflower sauce.
- Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Top with chopped parsley and toasted bread crumbs, better known as poor man’s Parmesan.
Notes
More Can-dos with Cauliflower
- Cauliflower and pasta meet again in my recipe for Pantescan pasta.
- Cauliflower’s mild flavor makes it a terrific vehicle for Indian spices like turmeric, cumin and chile. Taste how good it is in my tandoori vegetable recipe.
- Keep the Indian theme going with aloo gobi, the classic Indian dish of cauliflower, potatoes and spices. It comes together quick and delicious with Vegan Richa’s instant pot recipe.
- Kathy Hester gives cauliflower the po’ boy treatment.
- Rancho Gordo legend Steve Sando riffs on El Bulli chef Omar Allibhoy’s recipe for cauliflower with sherry vinegar. Roasting the cauli bakes umami right in, and beans, well, beans make everything better.
Thank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.
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