roasted cauliflower pasta

i love cookbooks.

good ones inspire you with

intricate recipes and beautiful pictures...

and pretty soon you're imagining all the amazing things 

that could come out of your kitchen!

i got two new cookbooks for my bday. lucky me :)

recipe via the sprouted kitchen cookbook

i don't know about you, but when i make pasta dishes, 

i like more 'stuff' and less pasta.

for that reason, i actually thought you could have either 

INCREASED the ratio of 'stuff' to pasta, 

or just lowered the amount of pasta in this dish. 

but that's just me :)

overall - loved the flavors. 

the caramelized cauliflower, sweetness of the nutmeg and hazelnut, 

with the freshness of the basil. YUM. 

i couldn't resist - i also ended up adding red pepper flakes 

at the last minute to give it some kick :)

ingredients

1 head cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon pepper

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 pound whole grain pasta

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into slivers

*i would have doubled this, but i LOVE basil*

1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

shaved pecorino for garnish (optional)

directions

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees.

bring large pot of salted water to a boil for your noodles.

cook pasta according to the package instructions.

2. meanwhile, cut the cauliflowers into 1-inch florets, 

discarding the thick middle stem.

spread florets on a rimmed baking sheet and toss 

with olive oil, making sure each piece is coated. 

sprinkle with lemon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg & toss.

roast, gently stirring about halfway through the cooking time, 

until there are lots of caramelized spots, 25-30 minutes.

3. meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, 

warm the butter and swirl it around the pan until it 

starts to bubble and just begins to smell toasty - about 2 minutes. 

turn off heat.

**i felt like the 3 tablespoons of butter was a bit much, 

so i dumped about 2 tablespoons prior to adding the rest of the ingredients**

4. drain pasta, reserving a bit of the water. 

to the pan with the browned butter, add the pasta, a splash of pasta water, 

balsamic vinegar, basil, half of both the cauliflower and hazelnuts, 

and a pinch or two of salt. toss everything to combine.

*i would double the basil next time*

5. divide the pasta mixture into bowls and top each serving 

with a portion of the remaining cauliflower and hazelnuts, 

as well as a few grinds of pepper. 

garnish with cheese if your heart desires.