Cauliflower And Pancetta Recipes

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PANCETTA, OLIVES AND CRISP PARMESAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well coated. Roast for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olives, garlic, lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt. Drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, whisking well.
• After the cauliflower has roasted for 15 minutes, add pancetta and cumin seeds to pan and gently mix to combine. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender, the pancetta rendered, and cheese is golden brown and crunchy.
• Spoon olive dressing all over roasted cauliflower while still hot and toss to combine. Taste, and add more salt, red-pepper flakes or lemon juice, if needed. Scatter parsley over the top before serving.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PARMESAN & PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Blanch the cauliflower for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the cauliflower to a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish and let cool, about 5 minutes.
• In a small skillet over medium high heat, brown the pancetta. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until combined.
• Continue stirring and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour.
• Take off the heat and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously until the milk has incorporated and there are no lumps.
• Put back on low heat, add garlic clove and red pepper flakes and stir the sauce over low heat until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add the parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg and the reserved pancetta. Stir to combine.
• Pour the sauce over the cauliflower to cover.
• Top with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
• Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cauliflower is cooked, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

CAVATELLI WITH PANCETTA & CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and is lightly browned but still soft in the center, about 4 minutes.
• Don't overcook the pancetta.
• Stir the cavatelli into the boiling water.
• Return to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the onions into the skillet and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is wilted and begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
• Season lightly with salt and a little crushed red pepper.
• Pour the chicken stock into the skillet, bring to a boil, and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer.
• Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by about one-half, about 5 minutes.
• If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet.
• If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce.
• Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing and stirring to coat the pasta.
• Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary.
• Stir the bread crumbs, parsley, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot.
• Cook, stirring and tossing the pasta, until the sauce is lightly thickened.
• Serve at once & enjoy!

CAULIFLOWER AND PANCETTA GRATINATA

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Arrange the pancetta slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crumble the pancetta.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well in a colander for about 5 minutes.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Add the cauliflower, capers, pancetta, and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake the gratinata for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.

CAULIFLOWER "BISTECCHE" WITH PANCETTA AND CAPER BERRIES

Steps:

• Rinse salt-packed capers in a sieve and transfer to a small bowl. Soak capers in water to cover by 2 inches for 30 minutes. Drain and repeat soaking. Drain again, then rinse and pat dry.
• While capers soak, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook pancetta in 1 dry 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off fat and wipe skillet clean.
• Stir together raisins and lemon juice in a small bowl.
• Trim cauliflower stalk flush with base of crown, discarding stalk, then trim any leaves. Put cauliflower crown, stalk side down, on a cutting board. Cut a 1-inch slice from 2 opposite sides of crown and discard, then cut crown lengthwise into 4 "steaks," each about 3/4 to 1 inch wide.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch each of sugar and pepper in each 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillets occasionally, until butter begins to brown. Add 2 cauliflower steaks to each skillet and lightly season with salt and pepper, then cook until undersides are golden, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer skillets to oven and roast cauliflower, without turning, switching position of skillets halfway through roasting, until cauliflower is just tender and undersides are golden brown, 8 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness).
• While cauliflower roasts, bring water just to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in pancetta, capers, raisins with lemon juice, and caper berries. Add remaining 1/2 stick butter and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat and season with pepper.
• Carefully invert cauliflower steaks with a spatula onto a platter and spoon sauce over them.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and chefshop.com

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND PANCETTA SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Arrange cauliflower tightly into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Pour melted butter over cauliflower and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place garlic cloves into the cauliflower.
• Roast in the preheated oven until cauliflower is tender and browned, about 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir pancetta in the hot oil until browned and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pancetta to paper towel-lined bowl, reserving pancetta drippings in the skillet.
• Cook and stir onion in the pancetta drippings until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix thyme, rosemary, and turmeric into onion.
• Pour chicken stock over onion mixture and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower and garlic to chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium and simmer soup until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir pancetta into soup.
• Blend soup using an immersion blender until completely smooth. Stir Cheddar cheese, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, into soup until melted.