Cavatelli With Roman Cauliflower Recipes

CAVATELLI WITH ROMAN CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the cauliflower to a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cook for 3 minutes, then remove the cauliflower from the water. Retain the water.
• Put half of the cauliflower into a blender along with 1 cup of the cooking water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Blend until it turns into a puree. This will be the sauce for your pasta. You may need to add more of the cooking water to reach the desired consistency (as loose as tomato puree).
• Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. Saute for 1 minute.
• Increase the heat to high and add the reserved cauliflower florets. Saute for 2 minutes while stirring.
• Add the puree to the pan and saute for 30 to 40 seconds while stirring.
• To the pot with the reserved cauliflower cooking water, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, return the water to a boil over high heat, and add the cavatelli. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, stir it into the pan with the sauce, and cook everything together for 30 seconds. Add a couple more tablespoons of the pasta cooking water for a looser consistency, if desired.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
• Drizzle each serving with olive oil and serve with extra grated cheese for sprinkling.

HOMEMADE CAVATELLI PASTA

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour and salt in a large bowl or on a marble work surface. Make a well in the center.
• Pour water into the well a little at a time, mixing it with the flour. Add as much water as needed to make a sticky but compact dough.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is elastic and smooth, but not too soft, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. If you are using the cavatelli within a few hours or the following day, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
• Work with one portion of the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered to keep it from drying out. Dust a work surface with semolina flour; roll out the dough to make a rope, about 1/3 inch thick.
• Cut off little 1/3-inch-thick pieces. Press and gently drag the small piece of dough towards you with your index and middle finger. The two sides will curl inwards, leaving hollow spaces.
• Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. Transfer cavatelli to a floured surface and sprinkle with more semolina flour. Do not overlap cavatelli or they will stick together. Let dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.

CAVATELLI AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, blanch broccoli for about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly golden, being careful not to burn it. Add the broccoli. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Broccoli should be tender yet crisp to the bite.
• Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with the broccoli, and season with salt and hot pepper flakes. Serve with parmesan cheese.

CAVATELLI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir well, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over and tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Push to one side of the pot and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the chickpeas. Cook the chickpeas, stirring, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt.
• Meanwhile, add the cavatelli to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and then drain. Add the pasta, butter and 1/2 cup cooking water to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until the pasta and cauliflower are well combined. Add the baby greens in two batches, stirring, and cook until just wilted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
• Stir 2 tablespoons cheese into the pasta, adding more cooking water if the pasta is too dry; season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.

FRESH CAVATELLI WITH CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil.
• Pour the olive oil into the skillet, set over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic. Let the garlic start to sizzle, then toss in the peperoncino and parsley; stir and cook for a minute. Ladle in a cup of the pasta cooking water, stir well, and adjust the heat to keep the liquid in the skillet simmering and reducing gradually while you cook the cauliflower and pasta.
• With the pasta water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender. Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente (if you are using dried pasta, it will, of course, take longer).
• Lift out the florets and cavatelli with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and spill them into the skillet. Toss well, to coat all the pasta and vegetable pieces with the garlicky dressing, then turn off the heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the skillet, and toss again. Heap the cauliflower and cavatelli in warm bowls, and serve immediately.

FRESH CAVATELLI/CAULIFLOWER/ALMONDS & TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil.
• Grate the bread chunk on the coarse holes of a box grater into a mixing bowl; you should have about 2 cups of fluffy crumbs.
• Pour 5 tablespoons of the olive oil into the skillet, set it over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic and peperoncino & let them sizzle for a minute or so, then dump in the bread crumbs, and stir to moisten them with the oil.
• Toast the crumbs for about 5 minutes, tossing them and shaking the pan almost continuously, until they're golden and crisp; adjust the heat so neither the bread crumbs nor the garlic gets too dark.
• Turn off the heat, and pour the toasted crumbs and garlic into the serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, start cooking the cauliflower and cavatelli.
• With the cooking water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender.
• Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil.
• Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente.
• Quickly drain them (you can empty the pot into a colander) and spill the pasta and florets on top of the bread crumbs in the bowl.
• Sprinkle the almonds, parsley, and salt,over the bowl and toss everything together well, until the crumbs and almonds are evenly distributed and coat the pasta and cauliflower florets.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil all over, and toss again.
• Serve immediately, right from the bowl.

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!