Monday, August 27, 2012

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

Are you a glutton for garlic, like I am? I made this pasta dish last week but thought it would be MOST suitable for a Monday morning blog post because it's EASY, delicious and PERFECT for a weekday dinner. Because of the ease involved, I have to admit I was surprised by its complete deliciousness. I'm guilty of forgetting that simple can be divine.

Roasted Garlicky Cauliflower Pasta
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a head of cauliflower into small, bite sized pieces and toss in a bowl with olive oil and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Spread evenly on baking sheet and cook until golden brown (I like to roast vegetables until a dark brown...do you?) and remove from oven.

Cook whole wheat pasta, al dente...spaghetti, penne, anything will work!

Toss cauliflower into pasta with the juice of a whole lemon, 4 tablespoons of fresh thyme, chopped, 3 large garlic cloves, minced, a pinch of kosher salt, pepper and 3 ounces of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I think the combination of cauliflower perfectly caramelized by the olive oil and salt, lemon juice and fresh thyme took this pasta dish to a level separate from your typical weekday pasta night, but was just as simple.

Serve with a fruit salad or vegetable salad. We served with this honeydew melon to offset the saltier-flavor of the pasta. We found a honeydew melon so ripe, it was like eating candy. Perfection!

How was your weekend? Ours was full of leisurely family coffee dates, lots of yard work, exercise, wine and relaxation. My weekend also included some work replicating a Macaroon Brownie that I had at Asheville's Chocolate Lounge (successfully!), which I'll share later this week. We also had to miss a party held for my Sister-in-Law and future Brother-in-Law (boohoo, we hate missing parties!) as we prepared for our Labor Day Travels. Did you do anything fun this weekend? I would love to know. Have a wonderful week!

1 comment:

  1. This was so good, the whole fam loved it! But I roasted the garlic with the cauliflower because I usually don't like raw garlic. And I definitely prefer my veggies roasted dark! Thanks for making my dinner preparations so easy and so good!

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