Pasta With Cauliflower Currant And Nuts Recipes

SICILIAN PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Place the raisins or currants in a small bowl and cover with warm water. In another bowl combine the saffron with 3 tablespoons warm water. Let both sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the cauliflower and boil gently until the florets are tender but the middle resists when poked with a skewer or knife, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoons or tongs (or a pasta insert) remove the cauliflower from the water, transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. You will cook the pasta in the cauliflower water. Cut the florets from the core of the cauliflower and cut them into small florets or crumble coarsely using a fork or your hands.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and add the anchovies and tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Drain the raisins or currants and add, along with the saffron and its soaking liquid, cauliflower, pine nuts or almonds, and about 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the cauliflower. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Bring the cauliflower water back to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, following the timing instructions on the package. Check the sauce and if it seems dry add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Toss together and serve, sprinkled with pecorino and chopped basil leaves. If desired, drizzle a little olive oil over each serving.

TORCHIO WITH CAULIFLOWER, CAVOLO NERO, CURRANTS, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Put two large pots of heavily salted water on to boil.
• Blanch the cavolo nero in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, and cool the greens on a baking sheet. When they have cooled, squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the rosemary sprig and 1 crumbled chile, and let them sizzle in the oil about a minute. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sliced onion. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Cook a couple of minutes, then stir in half the sliced garlic. Continue cooking gently until the onion is soft and starting to color slightly, another 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cavolo nero and 2 more tablespoons olive oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat the greens with the oil. Season with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook the cavolo nero slowly, over low heat, about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the greens turn a dark, almost black color and get slightly crispy around the edges. (I usually alternate turning the heat up a little bit, so the cavolo sizzles, and then turning it back down to low, so it stews.) Turn off the heat and set aside. When it's cooled, remove the rosemary and chile.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• While the greens are cooking, toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and crispy.
• Blanch the cauliflower in rapidly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender and not too crunchy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Bring the water back to a boil and drop in the pasta.
• Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and wait a minute. Add the diced onion, the remaining crumbled chile, and the thyme. Sauté over medium heat 2 minutes, and then add the anchovy. Stir well with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovy and dissolve it into the onion. Turn the heat up to high and add the cauliflower. Stir well, to coat the cauliflower with the oil. Add the remaining sliced garlic, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and sauté the cauliflower 8 to 10 minutes, until it's caramelized, scraping the pan continuously with a wooden spoon, and smashing the cauliflower a little to make small pieces. Add the cavolo nero to the pot, and stir well to combine.
• When the pasta is al dente, set aside 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the vegetables, stirring and tossing well to combine and coat the noodles. The pasta will fry a little in the oil and stick to the pan; this is good, so keep scraping and tossing with the wooden spoon.
• After a few minutes, when the pasta is well coated and has a little color on it, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Stir to combine, and add more water if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Add the currant-pine nut relish and stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to a large warm platter and shower the toasted breadcrumbs over the entire dish.
• If you can't find torchio, choose a pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to capture all those delicious ingredients. You can stew the cavolo, blanch the cauliflower, and toast the breadcrumbs in advance.