Cauliflower, 1 lemon, 2 slices of bread, pasta and a handful of pantry essentials. It really is amazing how a few simple ingredients can be transformed into some SO GOOD. The crowning glory of this Cauliflower Pasta is the pangrattato (aka Magic Toasted Breadcrumbs).
I never understood Meatless Monday. If you do grocery shopping on the weekend, doesn’t it make sense to cook with fresh meat early in the week (i.e. MONDAY)?
I guess normal people go Meatless on Monday to try to kick off the week on a healthy note. Not me. I’m usually the reverse. Fresh protein for the first half of the week, then vegetarian / pantry meals for the second half of the week!
So I’m not sharing this on a Monday to jump in on Meatless Monday. I’m sharing this because I’m one of those people who just can’t resist a bargain, and when giant, beautiful heads of cauliflower were on sale for $1.49, I bought 3 of them. THREE.
Yup, that’s the way I operate. Did you think that I planned out the recipes I post with military precision? I’m sorry to burst that bubble! Despite my best attempts, I can’t stick to a recipe posting schedule. I go to the shops with a shopping list designed around things I plan to make, but I always get side tracked by whatever fresh produce is on special! Like lamb shanks. 🙂 That’s why I shared my Lamb Shanks recipe – they were 30% off!
I don’t think people ordinarily associate cauliflower with pasta, but can I tell you – it goes SO WELL! When cauliflower is roasted or browned in a skillet, it gets a slightly nutty flavour. About as different as you can get to bland, boiled cauliflower!
But the crowning glory of this pasta has to be the pangrattato. “Pangrattato” is known as the “poor man’s parmesan” in Italy and was invented as an economical substitute for parmesan. It’s just small chunky bits of bread, either toasted of pan fried with olive oil and seasoned with salt.
Anything you sprinkle it on – WOW! Salty bursts of crunchy, golden bread, it really can elevate the most ordinary of things into something seriously delicious! I sprinkle it on pasta, gratins and bakes, roasted vegetables (try this Roasted Broccoli with Pangrattato!) and it’s fantastic sprinkled on salads too!
Cauliflower pan fried until golden in garlicky butter tossed through pasta with lemon and chili, topped with crunchy salty pangrattato. THIS is Meat Free for Carnivores!
– Nagi x
And more GREAT meat-free pastas!
More cauliflower recipes
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Garlic Butter Cauliflower Pasta with Pangritata
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 slices bread , crusts removed, preferably stale (enough to make 1/2 cup)
- Oil spray (preferably olive oil)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , smashed (Note 1)
- 1/2 large head of cauliflower , broken/cut into florets about 2"/5cm long (about 4 to 5 cups) (Note 2)
- 8 oz / 250 g fettuccine (or pasta of choice)
- 1/2 red onion , thinly sliced
- 1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 lemon : 2 tbsp lemon juice + zest of 1/2 the lemon
- Salt & pepper
To serve
- Parmesan cheese , freshly grated
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Pangrattato
- Dice the bread into small pieces - you want (at least!) 1/2 cup. Spray generously with oil.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bread crumbs and saute for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the skillet into a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
Cauliflower Pasta
- Return the skillet to the stove. Melt the butter then add the oil. When hot, add the smashed garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 3 minutes, then add the red onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is beautiful golden brown but still a bit firm.
- Remove the smashed garlic cloves.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water - 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the packet!
- RESERVE 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Then drain the pasta or use tongs to transfer it directly to the skillet.
- Pour the reserved pasta cooking water into the skillet along with the red chili flakes, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Gently toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until the water evaporates - you will be left with a luscious coating of sauce on each strand of pasta (this is called emulsification) and the cauliflower will finish cooking.
- Remove from the stove. Grate over zest of 1/2 the lemon and drizzle over about 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Toss quickly.
- Serve, sprinkled with Pangrattato with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
I was happily surprised by this one – I had a whole cauliflower to use up, gave this a go, thinking it would be a little bland. This recipe was soo delicious! Gobbled it all down. Thanks again Nagi! i think it definitely warrants a video….
Another great dish. I managed to get a purple cauliflower from a local farm. Made A very pretty pasta.
Easy and delicious recipe. I didn’t have Parmesan cheese and used another cheese that I had, it still tasted great. The bread crumbs really added to the texture, taste and flavour.
I love your recipes! Am going to be cooking this one next week – was just wondering, though, why do I have to remove the garlic cloves in step 3? What would happen if I left them in? Thank you! Also, can I exchange the parmesan for cheddar or some other cheese? (My Dad doesn’t like parmesan) Sorry for all the questions!
My 5 stars went away