When I was a kid I went through a LONG phase where I didn’t like spaghetti with sauce, I just liked noodles, butter and Parmesan. My parents will blame this on my cousin Chelsea, who was at the time, living in the Twin Cities. So the story goes, I used to eat spaghetti with sauce but then Chelsea and her family came to visit Ely and she was going through a phase where she didn’t like spaghetti with sauce. I decided that was a fantastic idea and decided I didn’t want sauce either. Chelsea grew out of this phase while I ate buttered spaghetti noodles with Parmesan well into high school. Love you Chels!
This recipe appealed to me as a grown up and apparently more acceptable version of my childhood favorite. Roasted cauliflower is combined with bucatini (hollow spaghetti noodles) Parmesan and Romano cheese, of course a wonderful luscious buttery sauce and lots and lots of ground pepper.
I found this recipe in the December 2014 edition of Everyday with Rachel Ray and after going back and forth on whether I would like it or not finally made it and fell in love. There is something amazing about how meaty and nutty cauliflower gets when you bake it, and a surprising luxurious taste to a sauce that consists of starchy pasta water, pepper and butter. And in typical Rachel Ray fashion, this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes.
Here’s what you need:
Start by getting your cauliflower ready. Break half a head of cauliflower into small florets. Toss with some finely chopped rosemary, kosher salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in a 450 degree oven until tender and beginning to get nice brown spots – about 18-20 minutes.
While the cauliflower is baking, cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve about a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt a tablespoon and a half of butter. Add a bunch of fresh, coarsely ground black pepper – about a half a tablespoon and allow to cook for a minute or so then pour in some of the reserved pasta water. I started with a half a cup, you’ll have the opportunity to add more later (I ultimately used a 3/4 of a cup).
Bring to a simmer and then add another tablespoon and a half butter and let it melt. Stir in the pasta and remove from heat.
Add the grated parmesano and romano cheeses a handful at a time and toss the pasta together until a cheesy, buttery sauce forms and coats the noodles. This is where you can add an additional quarter cup or so of the pasta water until to lossen the sauce up. The buttery, peppery, parmesany goodness will coat all the noodles perfectly.
Add the roasted cauliflower to the pasta.
Season with a little more Parmesan cheese – because you can’t go wrong with more cheese.
Divide into two bowls and serve.
This dish might look simple and be pretty simple to whip up but it totally brought me back to my no sauce with spaghetti days in a much more grown-up way. And of course, like with many pasta dishes, the leftovers are great too.
- ½ medium head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 2 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- 8 oz dried bucatini (or spaghetti if you can't find bucatini)
- 3 T butter
- ½ T coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ c freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese.
- ¼ c freshly grated Romano cheese
- more cheese for topping
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl toss together the cauliflower, rosemary, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes, turning once or twice until it begins to brown.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the bucatini. Boil in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon and a half of butter over medium-low heat. Add the black pepper and cook for a minute. Add about a half cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining butter and melt.
- Add pasta and remove from heat. Add the cheese a bit at a time until a sauce forms and coats the pasta.
- Add the roasted cauliflower and toss with the pasta. Top with a little extra grated cheese.
- Serve in bowls
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