Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce

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Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce
Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce

After posting the above photo of Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce  my Calabrian born mother prepared on our Facebook fan page, we were overwhelmed with requests for the recipe.  So, without further qualification here’s a simple recipe for one of the easiest pasta dishes on the planet made with a staple vegetable in southern Italy: linguine (and/or capelli D’Angelo / angel hair) with cauliflower, garlic, colatura di alici, and grated Grana Padano.

The same dish made with angel hair or Capelli D'Angelo, cavolfiore e' aglio
The same dish made with angel hair or Capelli D
Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce
Cook:
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
  • One head of cauliflower
  • 2-3 pieces of garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, the former is much cheaper and very similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano minus the hefty price tag
  • A few drops of Colatura di Alici or Anchovy fish sauce (optional)
  • ¾ pound of pasta (linguine)
Process
  1. Fill a large pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Remove the cauliflower heads and submerge in the boiling water (add salt if desired). Boil for 4-5 minutes or until the cauliflower is fully cooked (Italians do not like crunchy vegetables) and remove to a clean bowl.
  2. Add the linguine to the same boiling water and cook normally (follow our instructions on how to cook perfect pasta). In a separate pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the cauliflower to the pan with oil and garlic and toss with linguine and a bit of the pasta water. Add a few drops of the colatura di alici (note the colatura is very salty) Add freshly ground black pepper, Kosher salt, and grated Grana Padano to taste. You can also add a bit of red pepper flakes.

6 Comments

  1. I love to make alot of my recipes with a good wedge of Romano cheese….soooo good!!

  2. I like Pecorino Romano better for some reason?

  3. I have both…thanks!! next time

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