Pasta with cauliflower is a healthy, delicious and super easy to prepare first course meal.
It has a creamy texture thanks to the cauliflower, and in this recipe we enriched this delicious pasta and cauliflower with the addition of pancetta.
Why This Recipe Is The Best
Healthy: Cauliflowers have so many benefits.
Below I will tell you more about them.
Easy and fast to make: A really easy pasta recipe, a first course that can be prepared in half an hour.
Creamy and delicious: Thanks to the cauliflower, the result will be a super creamy, without the addition of any cream.
One of our other favorite cauliflower recipe recipe that we have on our site is Air fryer breaded cauliflower. They are bite-sized, flavorful, easy to make, and healthy!
Cauliflower Pasta Recipe Ingredients
Cauliflower: The main element of this recipe.
Make sure the cauliflower is fresh. To assess its freshness, check the texture of the head, which should be firm and compact, the florets should be tight, the surface uniform and not grainy. And there should be no green shoots between its inflorescences.
Pasta: I chose the reginette (Mafaldine). But a short pasta is also fine, such as macaroni or ditali.
Pancetta or bacon: It gives a unique flavor to this dish. You can also leave it out if you want to make a vegetarian pasta.
Garlic, olive oil and basill: Basic ingredients that I use very often in my recipes.
Parmesan cheese: I love parmesan cheese on pasta. It creates that creaminess that makes any pasta dish super special.
You can also use pecorino if you prefer.
How to Make Creamy Pasta With Cauliflower
Prepare the cauliflower: Clean the cauliflower well under running water and divide into florets.
Cook it in salted water until softened.
Prepare the base for the pasta: In a frying pan we start with the bacon. Let the fat release, after which we add a drizzle of oil and brown the sliced garlic.
Add the cauliflower: When the cauliflower is soft, we can add it to the bacon and garlic, and mash some of the florets with a fork.
This is the secret to a super creamy pasta. Add a little bit of cooking water and let it cook.
Cook the pasta: We will cook the pasta in the same water where we cooked the cauliflower.
Mix everything: When the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the pan with the cauliflower, add some cooking water and mix well.
Finally add the parmesan cheese and basil and mix well.
It is ready to enjoy!
Cauliflower Pasta Recipe Tips
Cooking the pasta: The pasta should always be al dente when we add it to the cauliflower.
Cooking will continue in the pan with the cauliflower.
Mash some cauliflower: This is the secret to super creamy pasta.
Always save some pasta cooking water: It will help all the ingredients blend together.
Cauliflower Pasta Variations
Vegetarian version: Just don’t add bacon.
Add anchovies: Sauté anchovies together with garlic. The pasta with the cauliflower will have a stronger flavor.
Baked cauliflower pasta: A great idea if you want to prepare pasta with cauliflower in advance.
Add some béchamel sauce and mozzarella cheese to make it super stringy.
Bake it in the oven at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Pasta, cauliflower and grated breadcrumbs: toast the breadcrumbs in a nonstick skillet with the chili, stirring often to prevent burning. Add it at the end of cooking. A twist for this pasta super delicious!
FAQ
What are the health benefits of cauliflower?
Cauliflower is a vegetable that belongs to the Brassica genus, as does cabbage in its various forms.
Low in calories but with a good vitamin profile, it is an excellent health ally and has a wide versatility of use in cooking.
Benefits of cauliflower:
- Protects heart health.
- Cauliflower is rich in fiber, fiber as we know is important for overall health and can even aid in weight loss.
- Is very rich in water.
- It is diuretic and depurative.
- It promotes digestion.
- It is anticarcinogenic
- It is good for the skin.
- Is rich in vitamin K and anthocyanins, which, together with choline, are good for mental function and the nervous system.
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Pasta With Cauliflower Recipe
Super creamy cauliflower pasta!
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower head
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 cup Pancetta (Bacon)
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1/4 Parmesan or pecorino cheese
- A few basil leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8 oz (250g) Pasta
Instructions
- Begin by cleaning the cauliflower under running water.
- Cut it into florets and cook for about 10-15 minutes in salted water.
- Cut the garlic into rounds, remembering to remove the garlic core to make it more digestible, and set aside.
- In a high-sided pan put the bacon and let the fat release. After about 3 minutes, add the garlic and let it brown.
- At this point the cauliflower should be cooked.
- Transfer the cauliflower from the pot to the pan with the bacon and garlic using a skimmer.
- We will use the same cooking water as the cauliflower to cook the pasta. Then cook the pasta and add salt if needed.
- Meanwhile, with the help of a fork, mash some of the cauliflower florets and add some of the cooking water. Cook on a low heat.
- When the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the pan with the cauliflower.
- Add half a cup of the pasta cooking water and mixes well.
- Finally, add the parmesan and basil with the heat off and give it a stir.
- Serve it hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 570Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 572mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 17g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
How long does this pasta last in the fridge?
You can store pasta with broccoli for up to 3 days an hermentic container.
To reheat it you can do it a pan with a little olive oil.
How to Freeze Cauliflower Pasta
If you want to freeze pasta with cauliflower, store leftover pasta in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months.
amy liu dong
Tuesday 20th of September 2022
I have never tried to put cauliflower on my pasta, and this is so interesting. I am so excited to make this for everyone. Yum!