Contrasting flavors are the key to this appealing comfort food recipe. Roasted cauliflower, a favorite of mine, lends a nutty accent to the spinach fettuccine.
Comfort food with all the looks to turn into a crowd-pleasing dinner. Leave out the roasted prosciutto and you have a perfect vegetarian dish.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small cauliflower head broken into bite-size florets, about 5 to 6 cups (500-600 g) of raw cauliflower
- 1/4 cup +2 extra tablespoons of olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 large red pepper seeded and cut into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 12 oz (360 g) spinach fettuccine
- 1/4 cup (7 g) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
- 4 slices of prosciutto (optional)
- grated Parmesan to serve (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400° F /200° CF.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper. Spread cauliflower over a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes turning florets on the other side after 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes, florets should be a bit charred on the edges. Do not let cauliflower get too soft. It should still be “al dente”. Remove cauliflower from the baking sheet and set aside on a plate keeping it warm.
If you decide to make the prosciutto shards, use the same baking sheet. Lay prosciutto slices side by side and roast for about 5-8 minutes at 375° F /190° C. Remove from the oven and place it on paper towels until ready to use. Just before serving break prosciutto into shards.
In the meantime, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook stirring frequently until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted cauliflower florets to the pepper/onion mix. Give it a stir and keep it warm on the side until pasta is ready.
Cook spinach pasta according to the package directions or until “al dente”. Drain and reserve 1 cup/240 ml of the cooking liquid. Add pasta to the cauliflower and pepper/onion mix. Toss gently to combine. Add a bit of the cooking liquid if the pasta seems to dry. Taste for salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta and vegetables among the pasta plates arranging the vegetables nicely for a more pleasing visual presentation.
