I have a long week ahead of me with lots of deadlines and thing that need to be done yesterday. However, I think the week will be just fine, thanks to this roasted cauliflower pasta with cream sauce. This particular recipe was inspired by Don’t Give a Fork - the beautiful blog from Payal Bhuptani. I was so happy to get this blog for the January Food Bloggers Recipe Swap. As I’ve mentioned before here, one of the best parts of blogging is getting to know more about other food bloggers. (If you want to check out recipes from past swaps, click here and here).
It was really hard for me to make up my mind which recipe I wanted to make from Don’t Give a Fork. I’d contemplated a beautiful roast chicken, an elegant looking apple galette, and several great looking egg recipes. In the end, I landed on Spinach and Pasta with Pan Roasted Cauliflower and Cream Sauce. I’m always looking for great ways to use up cauliflower and this recipe was perfect.
I did do a bit of adaptation. I left out the spinach, largely because I couldn’t find a good looking bunch of organic spinach at the store. I would definitely add the spinach back in next time I make this. I also oven roasted the cauliflower because, well, I’m a little lazy. Plus, Payal did say she would oven roast if she had an oven - it seemed a fair thing to do. And I tossed in a 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in the cream sauce. There might have been a bit of fridge scavenging/cleaning going on this weekend.
The end result is scrumptious! (How I love that word to describe beautiful food!). The soaked almonds are an absolute must - they are a perfect counterpoint to the nuttiness of the roasted cauliflower.
I really encourage you to check out Don’t Give a Fork. I will be cooking many more recipes from this site this year. It’s all just so yummy looking!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 head of cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 box or package of pasta (small shells, wheels, or penne)
- 1/4 cup whole almonds
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut the cauliflower into thin slices (1/4 inch thick). Spread them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir. Return to the oven and roast for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly browned.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, cover the almonds in water and let them soak.
- Boil water for the pasta in a medium sized saucepan. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
- Once the cauliflower is roasted and the pasta is cooked, start the cream sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour, a bit at a time, whisking constantly. Cook for 1 minute once all the flour is incorporated. Add the half and half slowly and continue to whisk. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens. Take off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- To plate, divide the pasta between three or four bowls. Divide the cauliflower. Chop the almonds into small bits and divide. Spoon the cream sauce over each and serve.
- Serves three or four. Enjoy!
