Pasta with cauliflower

Name: Pasta with cauliflower
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Conchiglie pasta 2 cups; Cauliflower to clean 1.5 lbs; Garlic 2 cloves; Dried chili pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

it de es fr br

Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Pasta with cauliflower, I gotta say, is one of those classic dishes that really shows off how a simple veggie can shine in Southern Italian cooking. People in Sicily and across the south turn tender cauliflower into the star of a creamy, satisfying sauce. And look, it clings perfectly to your favorite pasta. Really good stuff. What’s great is, you don’t need any heavy cream or extra fats—just the starchy water from the pasta as it finishes cooking with the soft cauliflower. This creates a moist, cozy plate of food that feels comforting without being overly rich.

The traditional recipe uses just a handful of basic, nutritious ingredients, but there are plenty of regional twists. Pretty much. In some places, people toss in guanciale or spicy salsiccia for extra flavor, while others add a pinch of saffron or a bit of taleggio for a touch of luxury. However you make it, you end up with a pasta with cauliflower that’s way more flavorful than you’d expect from such humble ingredients.

Throughout Southern Italy, cauliflower pasta recipes kinda change because they use what’s in season and make sure nothing goes to waste. Seriously good. Cauliflower is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so you’re getting a boost of the good stuff with every bite. The whole process is about letting the creamy texture develop naturally as you finish the pasta right in the pan with the cauliflower, making for a Sicilian cauliflower pasta that’s both hearty and surprisingly light.

Some families like to sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top for a crispy touch, or add a handful of peas for a pop of sweetness. It’s the kind of dish that appears at family dinners and works perfectly for easy weeknight meals. People keep coming back to this cauliflower pasta recipe because it’s so versatile—you can dress it up or keep it simple, and it always tastes like real, honest food from Italy’s southern regions. It’s proof that vegetarian pasta recipes can be just as satisfying and rich as anything else, all while using ingredients you probably already have on hand. And the sauce? Delicious.

How to prepare Pasta with cauliflower

To prepare the pasta with cauliflower, first clean the cauliflower: remove the central stalk and leaves 1, then separate the florets from the stems 2 and set them aside. Coarsely chop the stems with a knife 3.

In a pan, flavor some olive oil with the garlic cloves in their skins and the chili pepper 4, then add the chopped stems 5. Sauté for a minute, then add the florets 6.

Salt 7 and cook over high heat for 7-8 minutes (46-47 degrees Fahrenheit) 8. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta 9.

At this point, remove the garlic and deglaze the cauliflower with a ladle of the pasta cooking water 10, then lower the heat. Drain the pasta very al dente directly into the pan 11 and finish cooking by adding more cooking water 12.

Once ready, toss with a drizzle of olive oil 13 and mix well 14. Plate and serve your pasta with cauliflower immediately, adding a pinch of chili pepper if desired 15!

Storage

Pasta with cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container.

If you want to freeze it, we recommend gratinating it later in the oven.

Advice

If you need to reduce preparation time, you can boil the cauliflower florets with the pasta during the last 4 minutes of cooking, then drain everything into the pan where you have sautéed the garlic with the chili pepper and continue with the risotto-style cooking.

Don't throw away the leaves and central stem of the cauliflower… you can use them to make a creamy soup!

Curiosity

Did you know that in Sicily, cauliflowers are commonly called broccoli? The typical recipe of pasta with Arriminati broccoli, in fact, is not really a Pasta with broccoli but rather a regional variant of pasta with cauliflower enriched with anchovies, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and breadcrumbs!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.