Cauliflower Sauce for Pasta 02.01.2008
This is genuine Italian poverty food. Its got one main ingredient – the very humble cauliflower – and at the end you’d have no idea that its cauliflower…which I think is perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- a couple of slices of bacon/pancetta/your preferred bit of pig (optional)
- oil…a solid slug or two – be generous
- 1 stock cube
- 1-2 bay leaves
- pepper
- parmesan rinds (optional)
- parmesan cheese
- a good handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- salt to taste
- pasta – penne is good because the sauce gets in the middle.
Method
Finely dice the onion and bacon (optional..obviously ceases to be vegetarian if pig is involved) and chop the garlic. Fry gently in the oil in a roomy frypan/saucepan that has a well-fitting lid.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Dice the stalk as well.
Once the onion & garlic has coloured slightly and softened, throw in the cauliflower, a couple of bay leaves, a crumbled stock cube, 2-3 tablespoons of water, the parmesan rinds (if you have them).
Put the lid on and let it very gently cook for an hour or more.
Stir gently occasionally.
If it sticks slightly that's good, the browny bits taste good. It should become very mushy - no-one would ever realise its cauliflower at the end.
Stir through parsley and parmesan at the end of cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook pasta and stir through the sauce.
Feeds 4-6.
File under vegetarian
Ingrid is slowly and conscientiously sampling her way through the food of Southern Vietnam.
Comments on Cauliflower Sauce for Pasta
Susannah on 03 January 2008:
nom nom nom
Sorry, comments are not available on this post.
Virginia on 02 January 2008:
I think this will be my dinner tonight. Hooray! Thank you Ingrid.