Roasted Cauliflower Pasta. Gluten-Free Friendly
Cauliflower pasta: Yum!
You will love the robust flavor of cauliflower, and the roasting intensifies the flavors even further. I use frozen cauliflower, as it is already cut, cleaned, and every bit as delicious and nutritious as fresh cauliflower! Attention Gluten-Free readers: This is for you too!
Jazz it up!
Although this cauliflower pasta dish needs no help from the usual pasta suspects to be fantastic, feel free to add one of the following:
- Minced anchovies or sardines
- Capers
- Fresh grated parmesan or other strong cheese
- Toasted nuts.In case you throw in any of the above additions, make absolutely sure to include no salt in your recipes, as one of these additions will be amply enough to salt the whole dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen cauliflower florets, larger pieces cut smaller
- 6 slices bread, any kind including GF
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- ½ cup basil leaves, packed
- 1 bunch flat parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 good pinches nutmeg
- 1 pound pasta, boiled and drained (rice noodles or other GF pasta OK), 1/2 cup cooking liquid reserved
- ¼ cup more olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment and spray with vegetable spray. Spread the cauliflower florets in one layer on the cookie sheet, and spray again generously with vegetable spray.
Line another cookie sheet with foil or parchment. In a food processor, using the pulse button, process the bread, olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg, until you get coarse crumbs. Place them on the second cookie sheet. Place both sheets in the oven, using upper third rack for the crumbs, and lower third rack for the cauliflower. Bake about 25 minutes, check a couple times on the sheets. The crumbs might be ready first. The cauliflower should be nice and dark.
In a platter, toss the pasta with the cauliflower, the reserved liquid, the crumbs and the added oil, and serve hot.
How would you do this with a fresh cauliflower?
Marsha, I would cut it into florets, steam it, squeeze it dry. I used the frozen cauliflower because it is delicious and ideally easy, in addition to being nutritionally as perfect as fresh.
something tells me thatsome parmesan cheese on top will also be very good
Lena Yes it would be. That variation is included in the recipe.
This looks terrific. I am always looking for pareve or dairy recipes, including gf, that can be made in advance and feed a crowd at synagogue potluck dinners. Do you have any gf baked pasta or casserole recipe suggestions?
Elaine my latest book and my blog are chock-full of ideas! take a look! You will love the book!
Hi,
This pasta recipe looks great! I love roasted cauliflower. I work with Kamut International. I bet this recipe would be equally as delicious if made with Kamut wheat pasta too. Yum!
http://www.kamut.com
Thank you.
It sure would work with Kamut pasta!