This is no exaggeration.
In all the years I have been cooking and for all types of cuisines I enjoy cooking, I have never come across a dish that celebrates the humble cauliflower as this one.
A wonderful dish from Sicily that celebrates all that makes a dish quintessentially Sicilian; loads of pine nuts, golden raisins, liberal splashes of olive oil to the piece of resistance - saffron strands.
Everything from the choice of pasta - bucatini, long strands of pasta almost double the thickness of regular spaghetti to the combination of flavors from cooked up cauliflower florets to the dance of flavors between the pine nuts and raisins not to mention the hint of the sea from the mashed anchovies to finally the ephemeral flavors of the divine saffron.
I don't hesitate one bit in proclaiming that perhaps of all the pasta dishes I have ever come across, this is one that is most memorable and one that I know I will always make at dinner parties, at brunches and at home when ever I want a dish that takes something simple and makes it memorable.
And as all of us can vouch, some days we need to do just that. Celebrate the ordinary.
1 lb bucatini pasta (thick spaghetti type pasta), 1 large (approx. 2 lbs) cauliflower, 1 medium yellow onion, 6 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 cup pine nuts, 3/4 cup raisins, 6 fillets canned anchovies in oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 2-3 tbs saffron threads, water & 1 tbs salt for boiling pasta & Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving
Cauliflower: Cut and discard leaves and stems. Cut florets, using as little stem as possible. Place in a micrwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Fit bowl with a microwave safe lid and cook for 6 minutes. Do not open the lid and leave until ready to use.
Onion: Cut away ends and discard skin. Finely chop and set aside.
Pasta: Set the water and salt to boil for the pasta. This takes a while so get it going before you begin the sauce.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.
Add the onions and sautefore about 5 minutes until beginning to turn translucent. Add the anchovies, raisins and pine nuts.
On low heat, saute for about 10 minutes until all the flavors have melded and the onions have softened.
Meanwhile, to the boiling pasta water, add the bucatini and stir constantly for about 10-12 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking together and until pasta is al dente.
Add the cauliflower and its liquid to the onion mixture. On medium heat, with a metal spoon, break down the cauliflower. Keep adding 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid to keep the sauce dry.
Continue to work on the sauce until the pasta had cooked, adding 2 tbs pasta water regularly. Once the cauliflower is well incorporated in the sauce and the salt and pepper.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the saffron to the cauliflower and stir to combine.
Drain the cooked pasta and empty the pasta on a platter. Spoon all the cauliflower and sauce over the pasta.
Serve immediately with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
Recipe for
Bucatini Pasta with Cauliflower, Raisins, Pine Nuts & Saffron
Serves 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Shopping list
1 lb bucatini pasta (thick spaghetti type pasta)
1 large (approx. 2 lbs) cauliflower
1 medium yellow onion
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup raisins
6 fillets canned anchovies in oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp saffron threads
water & 1 tbs salt for boiling pasta
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving
Preparation:
Cauliflower: Cut and discard leaves and stems. Cut florets, using as little stem as possible. Place in a micrwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Fit bowl with a microwave safe lid and cook for 6 minutes. Do not open the lid and leave until ready to use.
Onion: Cut away ends and discard skin. Finely chop and set aside.
Pasta: Set the water and salt to boil for the pasta. This takes a while so get it going before you begin the sauce.
Method:
In a large pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.
Add the onions and sautefore about 5 minutes until beginning to turn translucent. Add the anchovies, raisins and pine nuts.
On low heat, saute for about 10 minutes until all the flavors have melded and the onions have softened.
Meanwhile, to the boiling pasta water, add the bucatini and stir constantly for about 10-12 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking together and until pasta is al dente.
Add the cauliflower and its liquid to the onion mixture. On medium heat, with a metal spoon, break down the cauliflower. Keep adding 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid to keep the sauce dry.
Continue to work on the sauce until the pasta had cooked, adding 2 tbs pasta water regularly. Once the cauliflower is well incorporated in the sauce and the salt and pepper.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the saffron to the cauliflower and stir to combine.
Drain the cooked pasta and empty the pasta on a platter.
Spoon all the cauliflower and sauce over the pasta.
Serve immediately with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
Enjoy!
