Quick pasta with white cauliflower — an easy and fast recipe with cauliflower, an inexpensive first course, vegetarian, very tasty — as good as pasta with broccoli arriminati, but simpler. Some recipes are born by chance and become family dishes, repeated year after year following the seasonality. That’s how my white pasta with white cauliflower was born: once by chance, when I was in a great hurry to prepare lunch, and it became a family recipe. But do you know the main feature of my pasta and white cauliflower, besides being delicious and tasty? Simple: cooking the cauliflower in the microwave, in a glass bowl and without almost any mess. Using the microwave, the cauliflower cooks in the same time it takes to cook the pasta, becoming soft and creamy; then I mix everything together with the inevitable Parmesan and in no time my dish is ready. As a true Sicilian, in my pasta with cauliflower the are a must, so here’s a delicious recipe for vegetarian cauliflower pasta, quick, stress-free and delightful! Ready to make it together? Follow me in the kitchen and if you don’t have a microwave, you can always cook everything in a pot and you can also use Romanesco broccoli or any other kind of cauliflower.

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very economical
Rest time: 10 Minutes
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 5
Cooking methods: Microwave
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring

Ingredients

1.75 lb cauliflower (white or the type you prefer (about 7½ cups florets))
1 onion (large)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
3 oz grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano (about 3/4 cup))
1 lb pasta (short)
3.5 oz breadcrumbs

Tools

Bowl
Microwave oven
Pot

Steps

I used a white cauliflower, but you can use the type of cauliflower you prefer. If it’s dense and compact you can simply rinse it whole; otherwise separate the florets and rinse them individually, then let drain. Either way, cut the cauliflower into small pieces and collect them in a large glass or ceramic bowl.
Add a peeled, rinsed and chopped onion, then add a generous drizzle of oil, salt, pepper and half a glass of water. Cover the bowl with a plate (or with microwave-safe plastic wrap) and cook at 900W for 25 minutes. Turn off the microwave and let rest for ten minutes.
As an alternative to the microwave, using the same ingredients, stew over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring often.
While the cauliflower cooks, put the water on for the pasta and toast the breadcrumbs. Just put them in a pan, add a drizzle of oil and stir; then place over medium heat and let them brown, stirring often. In a few minutes the breadcrumbs will take on color as they toast.
Remove the plastic wrap or lid from the bowl and mix the cauliflower, pressing it down well.
Cook the pasta, drain it al dente. Put in a pan or sauté pan half of the cooked cauliflower, add the pasta, then the remaining cauliflower, a very generous grating of cheese and a sprinkle of pepper; mix until you obtain a creamy pasta. Add a little pasta cooking water if needed.
Serve hot and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs before enjoying.
Prepare only the amount of pasta you plan to eat; leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within 24 hours, but they won’t be as good as freshly made. The cauliflower likewise can be stored in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container.