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Pasta e cavolfiore
Pasta e cavolfiore: Neapolitan mixed pasta cooked straight in the cauliflower pot until creamy
Pasta e cavolfiore belongs to the family of thick Neapolitan 'pasta e…' dishes eaten at home on Fridays and cold weekdays, when a single cauliflower and a handful of mixed pasta ends have to feed the family. The cauliflower is softened with garlic, a little tomato and chilli, then the pasta is cooked right in it with small additions of hot water until the whole pot is creamy and the cauliflower has partly melted into the sauce. Finish with pecorino and black pepper. The usual mistake is cooking the cauliflower in big florets, which never break down; cut it small so some of it becomes the sauce. Chef's tip: let it rest for two minutes off the heat after the cheese goes in; it thickens into the proper 'azzeccata' texture that holds a fork upright.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlicsliced
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 ¾ lb cauliflowercut into small florets, stalk diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups hot waterkept on a low simmer
- 11 ½ oz pasta mista (mixed short pasta)
- 1 ⅜ oz pecorino romanograted; traditionally made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian dish
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Warm 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over a medium heat. Fry 2 cloves garlic and ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes for 1 minute until the garlic turns pale gold, then stir in 1 tbsp tomato purée for 30 seconds.
2 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ lb cauliflower, 1 tsp salt and 400 ml of the 1 ¾ cups hot water. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes until the cauliflower is very soft; crush about a third of it with a spoon.
12 minStep 3: Add 11 ½ oz pasta mista (mixed short pasta) and a ladle of water. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring often and adding water a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thick and creamy.
12 minStep 4: Off the heat, stir in 1 ⅜ oz pecorino romano and ¼ tsp black pepper and rest for 2 minutes until it thickens. Scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pasta e cavolfiore take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of tomato purée?
- Ketchup, same amount (sweeter).
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