Romanesco Pasta with Apples and Curry Cauliflower Sauce
Romanesco looks like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, and is related to both. It looks like spiral, spiky trees, that form kind of into a ball. Eat it raw in salads, steam it for a side dish, or add it to a pasta like this recipe.
Servings: 4
Calories: 541.9kcal
Equipment
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
- Chef's knife
- medium pot
Ingredients
Romanesco Pasta with Apples
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus a drizzle at the end
- 1 cup sliced scallions including the green stems
- 2 -3 tablespoons small diced poblano pepper
- 1 - 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- ½ Fuji apple unpeeled, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup romanesco florets about 1 medium head romanesco
- ½ cup Creamy Cauliflower Sauce, recipe below
- 2 cups farfalle pasta
- ½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated Asiago cheese optional
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, if needed
Curry Cauliflower Sauce
- 2 cups cauliflower florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium shallot peeled and quartered
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
Romanesco Pasta with Apples
- Heat water in a large pot to cook the pasta, and follow the directions on the package to cook to al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup of pasta water, and set aside. Drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the scallion and poblano and sautè, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the romanesco florets and cook another 2 minutes. Add the apples and sautè until the apples are slightly soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce and cooked pasta along with a couple tablespoons of the cooking water, and toss until everything is heated through, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Top with the parsley, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Finish with a little salt and a few grinds of pepper. If you want a little more heat, sprinkle with a dried red pepper flakes.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve warm.
Curry Cauliflower Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, cover the cauliflower and shallot with vegetable stock and simmer, partially covered, until very tender, about 20 minutes. Add everything to a blender along with the spices, and whirl until smooth. While the blender is running, slowly pour in olive oil to emulsify.
- Store any leftovers airtight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 541.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.5g | Protein: 9.1g | Fat: 39.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27.7g | Cholesterol: 1.3mg | Sodium: 1344.3mg | Potassium: 593.5mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 8.2g | Vitamin A: 1242.8IU | Vitamin C: 117.2mg | Calcium: 105.4mg | Iron: 4.2mg