Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

By jeknudson

Ingredients

• 1 1 1 head cauliflower
• 6 6 6 garlic cloves (skin on)
• EVOO
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red chili flakes
• 3 3 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 1 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 2 1/4 tbsp pine nuts (or 1/4 cup walnuts)
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
• 1 1 1 lb cavatelli pasta
• torn parsley leaves

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

On a sheet pan, drizzle a head of chopped cauliflower and six skin-on garlic cloves with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and red chile flakes. Roast at 425°, tossing occasionally, until the cauliflower is caramelized and crisp, about 30 minutes. Once cool, peel the roasted garlic cloves.
In a large bowl, combine a cup of grated Parmesan, three tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, and a quarter-cup of toasted breadcrumbs. (Pro tip: Toast stale bread until lightly golden, then use a food processor to pulse into crumbs. Store in a large resuable plastic bag in the freezer and never not have breadcrumbs again.)
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook a pound of short pasta (like cavatelli). Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid (I usually end up using around quarter-cup). Toss the hot pasta with the cauliflower, garlic cloves, Parmesan butter mixture, and enough pasta water to mix it all together. Garnish with a handful of torn parsley leaves.