Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream.
I devised this dish thinking of my little nephews and all those who do not like cauliflower.
I had to disguise it so that it would not remind them of the taste and, above all, the smell of cauliflower, and make it light and easy to digest.
I thus “teamed up” with my Sicilian herbs, with aromas that bring freshness and lightness to every dish. What is fresher among my herbs than bay leaf, lemon thyme and wild fennel as allies in the kitchen? Everything blended with cow’s milk ricotta which, unlike sheep ricotta, does not overpower, giving creaminess and delicacy to this dish.
It should be considered a complete dish. You will first find the traditional cooking method and then the one with the Bimby.
p.s. If you can’t find wild fennel, check this tutorial and I’ll explain how to preserve it. Click here
These recipes I thought of for you:
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Gas grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
- Energy 330.18 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.82 (g) of which sugars 5.27 (g)
- Proteins 14.82 (g)
- Fat 15.83 (g) of which saturated 4.88 (g)of which unsaturated 2.29 (g)
- Fibers 7.14 (g)
- Sodium 1,245.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 350 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Let’s go shopping
- 11 oz green cauliflower (about 3 cups florets)
- 5 oz spaghetti (no. 7)
- 1/2 cup cow's milk ricotta
- to taste lemon thyme
- 1 tbsp wild fennel fronds
- 1 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- to taste pepper
Tools
Here’s what we need to make them
- Pot
- Colander / Strainer
- Blender / Mixer
Preparation of Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream
Traditional cooking
First of all, bring some water to a boil, add the bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Meanwhile…
Remove any excess leaves from the cauliflower, take the amount you need and wash it thoroughly under running water.
When the water boils, add the cauliflower florets, cover with the lid halfway and cook for 10 minutes.
Then remove the cauliflower from the pot, but do not throw away the water, because we’ll use it to cook the spaghetti.
Place in the blender the cauliflower, the olive oil, the ricotta, the wild fennel and the leaves from 2 sprigs of lemon thyme. Blend until you obtain a smooth cream.
Cook the pasta in the same water used for the cauliflower, and drain it al dente. Once drained, transfer it back into the pot and toss it with the cream we made. Season with pepper to taste and…
Plate with a few extra lemon thyme leaves on top. Here are the Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream ready to serve
Put 500 g of water and 2 bay leaves into the mixing bowl.
Distribute the cauliflower florets in the Varoma tray.
Place the Varoma and steam cook: 25 min / Varoma / speed 1. Carefully remove the Varoma and set it aside.
Wash the mixing bowl and put in the cauliflower, the ricotta, the wild fennel and the lemon thyme leaves.
Season with half a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper and the olive oil.
Blend everything for 10 sec at speed 10.
Then transfer the cauliflower cream into a bowl.
Without washing the bowl, pour 500 g of water and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil for 5 min at 212°F counterclockwise speed 1, using the basket instead of the measuring cup.
Through the hole of the bowl add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package at 212°F counterclockwise speed 1.
At the end of cooking, drain the pasta with the help of the basket and put it in a bowl where you will dress it with the cauliflower cream.
We made the Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream with the precious help of our Bimby.
Storage
The sauce for Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Questions
Spaghetti with fragrant cauliflower cream
What can I substitute for the ricotta?
You can use yogurt cheese (jocca) or Philadelphia, or a vegan cream cheese.

