Spaghetti with Cauliflower
Nick’s Italian grandmother, Lena, first made this for us two years ago. Her version had cauliflower, egg noodles and lots of olive oil. Since then, I’ve been tweaking the recipe to make it my own. I switched out the egg noodles with whole-wheat pasta and gave the dish a kick with some red pepper flakes. On some nights I add some anchovy paste. On other nights I eat it without the Parmesan cheese. You get the picture. This is one of those ever-so-versitile-but-always-so-delicious kind of dish.
This is a nice pasta for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. The cauliflower, which takes on the sweet onion and spicy pepper flakes, is substantial and meaty. This dish is pretty garlicky, so if you are making it for date night, make sure your date eats lots of it too.
I like to use whole-wheat pasta, which I think goes well with the dish’s simple and rustic flavors. You can use regular pasta if you prefer. Or you might want to try it with wide egg noodles that Nick’s grandmother uses.
This pasta doesn’t have a sauce in the sense of a marinara or a bolognese. Olive oil, cheese and some pasta cooking liquid bind everything together. It’s a classic Italian way of preparing pasta. I like it because the taste of the noodle, in this case the nutty flavor of the whole-wheat spaghetti, really shines through.
This pasta is one of the most requested dishes at my house. Sharing it with you has inspired me to post more original recipes from my kitchen. I hope it has inspired you to give it a try in yours.
Spaghetti with Cauliflower
- Cauliflower, 1 medium head, cut into small florets
- Red onion, 1 medium, chopped
- Garlic, 5 cloves, minced
- Red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon
- Whole-wheat spaghetti, 12 ounces
- Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 1/4 cup
- Parmesan cheese, grated, 1/2 cup plus more for serving
- Salt, to flavor the pasta water and to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Heat up olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and everything is fragrant, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn, about 7 minutes.
Take out the cauliflower, reserving the water in the pot. Add spaghetti to the pot and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Add the cauliflower to the skillet with the onion mixture. Stir until everything is incorporated and cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When the spaghetti is ready, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet with the cauliflower mixture. Add the parsley and cheese. Toss with a tong, adding a little bit of the reserved pasta water at a time until a sauce forms. You will feel the pasta loosen up.
Serves 4.