Caramelised cauliflower pasta with caper ‘butter’
Caramelised cauliflower pasta with caper ‘butter’
I’m continuing with my Italian-inspired theme today and made a bowl of caramelised cauliflower pasta for lunch. It’s easy to make and a pleasure to eat! It features a combination I remember well from my childhood – cauliflower garnished with crispy breadcrumbs (and melted butter – bad vegan!). Did your mum used to make cauliflower like this too? Even though I like the original combination, this cauliflower is a bit more exciting as instead being boiled to within anΒ inch of its life, it is nicely charred on a griddle pan and seasoned with smoked salt to reinforce subtle BBQ flavours. It goes super well with a tangy and garlicky caper ‘butter’ seasoned with a bit of chilli for good measure. As soon as I made it, it got a big thumbs up from my taster-in-chief, Duncan, so I’m hoping you’ll like it too!
- 200 g of pasta*, I used strozzapreti (gluten-free if needed)
- Β½ large cauliflower, divided into florets
- 4 baby zucchini (optional), sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely diced
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more to grill vegetables
- 3 tbsp capers, chopped finely + a few whole to decorate
- 3 tbsp lemon juice + zest
- smoked salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- mild-heat chilli flakes (I used Turkish pul biber)
- 2 tsbp of toasted breadcrumbs from crusty white bread**, seasoned with salt
- a handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted on a dry pan
- Heat up a griddle pan on the stove (you can also use a BBQ for this or an oven at 400Β° F / 200Β° C). Cut cauliflower florets into halves. Brush them with a bit of olive oil and season with smoked salt. Arrange cauliflower pieces cut side down on a hot pan and do not turn over until they caramelise nicely. Then pop them to the other side for a few minutes. They will end up with a bit of a crunch but won’t be raw. Do the same with your zucchini slices (if using). Set aside.
- Cook pasta al dente and drain.
- In a small bowl, combine chopped capers with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- Warm up the remaining tablespoon (or two if you don’t mind a bit more oil) of olive oil on a medium size pan. Once warm, add finely diced garlic and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you stir it all the time as garlic burns easily, especially when chopped that finely. Turn off the heat and add caper ‘butter’ mixture to the sautΓ©ed garlic. Stir well.
- Add drained pasta to the pan and mix it around well to coat it in the caper ‘butter’. Add grilled vegetables and mix well.
- Serve with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, chilli flakes, breadcrumbs and fresh mint.
**I made my breadcrumbs by slicing 2 day old crusty bread into very thin slices and then toasting them on a hot griddle pan brushed with a bit of olive oil. I toasted them on both sides until nicely browned, cooled them and then crushed them in a pestle and mortar.
Another great recipe, thanks!
I added lemon zest as we like our lemon and caper combo!!!
I guess you add the roasted vegetables when combining the pasta and the sauce as your recipe doesn't specify.
Keep up the great concoctions!
Fergus
PS: you may also like my new version of this recipe :)
Thanks