Paccheri with Cauliflower and Tomatoes We tried a new recipe this week, and we enjoyed it! The combination of pasta with cauliflower and tomatoes was delicious. Plus, for those children who may not like veggies very much, if they happen to not see you cut up the cauliflower florets, they may not even realize that cauliflower is in this recipe!
I don't know if it was the addition of the serrano peppers that gave this a unique flavor, or not, because the sauce wasn't spicy at all. We all like trying new recipes, and this was a favorite by everyone. Brittany laughed when she realized that each pepper we purchased (all two of them) cost only 2 cents each! If you would like a spicy zing to your sauce, you will probably want to use jalapenos or something hotter instead of serrano peppers. |
Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
- 16 oz. Paccheri or other pasta
- 8 Tbsp. grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
- 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp.)
- 2 hot chilli peppers (serrano is very mild)
- 15 oz. tomato purée
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small to medium cauliflower, cut into florets
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook cauliflower florets in large, 6 qt. pot full of boiling, salted water. Halfway through cooking (about 6 minutes), add the pasta to the pot of cauliflower. In the meantime, gently crush the clove of garlic and sauté with the chilli pepper in a saucepan with the extra virgin olive oil. Add the tomato purée to the saucepan, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, drain the pasta after cooking for the length of time specified on the pasta package. Mix cooked pasta and cauliflower with the tomato sauce and grated cheese. Serve immediately.