Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Sauce and Olives
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- ½medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ to ½teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1(14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
- Pinch of sugar
- 1teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 12kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half lengthwise
- ¾pound spaghetti
- 2ounces either feta (crumbled), ricotta salata, Parmesan, or a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino (grated)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
482 calories; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 73 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 677 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Blanch for two minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain and blot dry. Cover the pot; you’ll use the water again for the pasta. Quarter the cauliflower florets, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt generously. Transfer to a baking sheet, place in the oven and roast 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a wide, nonstick frying pan or a 3-quart saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and the olives, and simmer a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Step 3
Bring the water back to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente, usually about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the cauliflower-tomato mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve at once.
- Advance preparation: The recipe can be made through step 2 as far ahead as one day. Keep in the refrigerator overnight, or on the stove for a few hours.
Private Notes
Comments
Made this last night. I used a whole small head of cauliflower, and added a generous splash of red wine and a touch of the pasta water. Two things: Although I followed the recipe almost exactly (omitted the sugar), why blanch the cauliflower before roasting it, other than to flavor the pasta water? I may skip that in the future. More importantly, this recipe does not make enough sauce for 3/4 lb of spaghetti, unless you want pasta with almost no sauce. Double it for 12oz, or else dinner for two.
I would definitely make this again with the following variations: I doubled the cauliflower, garlic, tomatoes, olives, omitted the sugar, added some fennel seed, 1/2 tsp of Pensey's very hot red pepper flakes. I saw no need to blanch the cauliflower, instead simply roasted using Amanda Hesser's recipe for roasted cauliflower on this site. It all made for a delicious dinner.
I didn't blanch the cauliflower; I just roasted it.
This was delicious! The flavors were subtle, but that’s what I appreciated. I do think it could benefit from more tomatoes, maybe half of Another can. And I used 1/2 lb pasta.
More delicious than expected! I had some leftover pasata which I threw into the sauce - which I think benefited so I would either repeat this or follow others' suggestion to double the tomatoes. My other small change was to roast the cauliflower with some chipotle paste and cornstarch so it really crisped up. I then stirred threw some feta at the end - it was wonderful!
Really no need to blanch the florets before roasting. It adds at least 10 to 15 minutes to whole process and is truly not needed. I'd just make the small florets, toss them with the olive oil and proceed to roasting. A nice dish and I did use a full but small head of cauliflower to up the vegetable quotient.