Description
Crispy roasted cauliflower meets creamy pesto pasta in this Mediterranean-inspired comfort dish. Golden cauliflower florets dance with herb-rich sauce over perfectly al dente pasta, delivering a symphony of textures and flavors you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 pound pasta, any variety
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil
- 1 cup baby arugula, spinach, or a mix
Seasoning and Flavor Enhancers:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 3–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 jalapeño, seeded (optional)
Garnish and Creamy Elements:
- ¼ cup toasted nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, or pistachios)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- ¼–⅓ cup canned full-fat coconut milk (or cream/milk of choice)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven at a high temperature, positioning the rack in the center for optimal heat circulation.
- Distribute cauliflower florets on a spacious baking sheet, generously coating with olive oil, smoky spices, and seasoning until each piece is thoroughly dressed.
- Roast the cauliflower until the edges transform into crispy, golden-brown peaks, releasing an aromatic fragrance.
- Midway through roasting, sprinkle minced garlic and bright citrus zest over the florets, allowing them to caramelize and intensify in flavor.
- While the cauliflower transforms, craft a vibrant green pesto by blending herbaceous leaves, zesty pepper, pungent garlic, tangy citrus juice, toasted nutty elements, and sharp cheese until smooth.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta until it reaches a perfect al dente texture with a slight resistance when bitten.
- Before draining, carefully preserve some starchy cooking liquid to help bind the sauce later.
- Return the pasta to the warm pot, introducing the verdant pesto and rich coconut milk, gently folding to ensure every strand is luxuriously coated.
- Adjust the sauce’s consistency using reserved pasta water, creating a silky, clingy texture.
- Plate the creamy pasta, crowning it with the crisp, caramelized cauliflower pieces.
- Finish with a scattering of fresh, verdant herbs for a burst of color and additional flavor complexity.
Notes
- Roast cauliflower at high temperature to achieve maximum crispiness and develop deep, caramelized flavors that elevate the entire dish.
- Customize pesto by swapping arugula or spinach, experimenting with different nuts, or adjusting spice levels to match personal taste preferences.
- Reserve pasta water before draining, as the starchy liquid helps create a silky, well-coated sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
- Toast nuts beforehand to intensify their nutty essence and provide a richer, more complex flavor profile to the homemade pesto.
- Use coconut milk as a creamy, dairy-free alternative that adds subtle sweetness and smooth texture to the pasta sauce.
- Quick tip for meal prep: Roast extra cauliflower and make pesto in advance to streamline weeknight cooking and save time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg