I will be the first to admit that I am not a big fan of cauliflower. Mind you, I have had some decent soups with cauliflower and even a potato substitute using smoked Gouda cheese that was quite edible, but cauliflower is not something that would be on my short list of essential food items for an extended trip to a deserted island. As such, it is with some degree of disbelief that I learned that David “Bogey” Pinson was going to serve a cauliflower pasta at his annual Christmas dinner. My disbelief soon turned to admiration when I learned that his recipe came form Marcella Hazan’s More Classic Italian Cooking. Now, I would never use cauliflower in pasta, but if Marcella says it is OK, whom am I to say that it won’t be delicious.
Penne col Sugo di Cavolfiore
Ingredients
A 1 1/2-pound head cauliflower
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
6 flat anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 tsp chopped hot red pepper
Salt
1-pound package penne or other macaroni
Preparation
- Strip the cauliflower of all its leaves except for a few on the very tender inner ones. Rinse it cold water, and cut it in two.
- Bring 4 to 5 quarts water to a boil, then put in the cauliflower. Cook until tender, but compact-about 25 to 30 minutes. Test it with a fork to know when it is done. Drain and set aside.
- Put the oil, garlic and chopped anchovies into a medium-size sauté pan. Turn on the heat to medium, and sauté until the garlic becomes colored a golden brown. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon, mashing the anchovies with it.
- Put in the boiled cauliflower, and break it up quickly with a fork, crumbling it into pieces no bigger than a peanut. Turn it thoroughly in the oil, mashing part of it to a pulp.
- Add the hot pepper and liberal amount of salt. Turn up the heat, and cook for a few minutes more, stirring frequently. Then turn off the heat.
- bring 4 to 5 quarts water to a boil, add a liberal mount of salt, and as soon as the water returns to a boil, put in the pasta. When cooked al dente (Note to Langston: That means tender, but firm to the bite), drain it well and transfer it to a warm serving bowl.
- Very briefly reheat the cauliflower, an pour all the contents of the pan over the pasta. Toss thoroughly. Add the chopped parsley. Toss again and serve at once.
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A member of the cast of the Godfather reports that this is a Sicilian dish and recommends applying toasted bread crumbs as if it were cheese topping…changes the whole texture and taste of the dish…for the better IMO
Tom “Sleeping with the Fish” Conigliaro
I take this as a recommendation that can’t be refused.