Pasta With Cauliflower, Bacon and Sage

By Lidey Heuck

Pasta With Cauliflower, Bacon and Sage
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(1,598)
Comments
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A comforting dinner for a cold night, this hearty pasta has all the makings of a crowd-pleaser like fried sage leaves, crispy bacon and nutty roasted cauliflower. This recipe demonstrates the magic of starchy pasta water: Swirled with lemon juice and Parmesan, it creates a luxurious sauce without the addition of cream or butter. Add more pasta water than you think you need, so the pasta stays moist as it absorbs the sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1medium head cauliflower (2 to 2½ pounds), cored and cut into ¾-inch florets
  • 2 to 3tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ½pound thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 1packed cup fresh sage leaves
  • 1pound short pasta, such as gemelli, casarecce or penne
  • Zest and juice of one 1 lemon, separated
  • ½cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

644 calories; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 786 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and toss to coat. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and browned all over, 20 to 25 minutes. While the cauliflower roasts, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the sage leaves to pan and fry until they begin to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage leaves to the plate with the bacon. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the skillet (or add additional olive oil, if needed) and remove from heat.

  3. Step 3

    Add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water and cook the pasta until just al dente, reserving 1½ cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the reserved skillet; heat over low. Pour or squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta, along with 1 cup pasta water and the ½ cup grated Parmesan. Toss until the sauce comes together.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the cauliflower, bacon and sage, adding a splash more pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest, and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,598 user ratings
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Comments

Lisa

adding cream is completely unnecessary if you follow a couple of guidelines. First use quality pasta. Go to eataly.com or amazon and buy Afeltra brand or some other organic imported pasta. Add some grated Parmesan to a small amount of the pasta water taken near the end of cooking to make a paste; it’ll thicken it without adding cream. Scoop the pasta out of the water and put directly into the pot with water clinging to it and then add your parm infused water and any extra if needed.

WFElliott

Delicious! I added a can of chickpeas (bc i didn't have enough cauliflower) and served it over a bit of kale (bc I had it in the fridge). Nothing needs to be added to this recipe - the bacon and sage flavors combine beautifully with the lemon. We don't even love cauliflower, but it was perfect in this dish. This recipe is a keeper (two teen boys devoured it).

Bryan

I loved this. I halved everything (just to reduce to two servings) but kept the parmesan at full. Mmmm

G. Neal

I like sage in small doses, so I fried the leaves in the bacon fat but only added a couple of them, crumbled, to the pasta. The sage taste was subtle. I also used a Dutch oven (as someone suggested) to roast the cauliflower florets in the bacon fat. I used the full pound of pasta and thought the pasta: cauliflower ratio was perfect. I did have a very large cauliflower though.

kim_in_mn

Tonight was my second time to make this. 4 stars the first time. 5 tonight. Don't use pre grated cheese. Grate your own cheese. Also, if the cheese starts to clump, have patience and add a little more pasta water and stir, I was able to get my clumpy cheese incorporated back into the sauce. Finally, the recipe took extra time because I cooked the bacon first. Then I fried the sage. I used the extra bacon grease left in the pan to roast the cauliflower instead of olive oil.

LBENE

Halved the recipe (for 2 adults) except included an entire head of roasted cauliflower. Ended up with 4 generous servings - it is perfection

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