Gradual-roasting cauliflower means to roast it within the oven for two to three hours at 160C/320F. Then it will get a very completely different texture, taste, and colour. We love slow-roasted cauliflower and I’ve already revealed a number of recipes on this weblog that includes it:
Nevertheless, I haven’t posted the model of pasta with slow-roasted cauliflower that I’ve been making ready most frequently these days, and which I served at wine pairing dinners at my home. And so it was time to treatment that. The cauliflower is allowed to shine on this dish, as a result of the thyme and pecorino cheese are solely there to assist and improve the cauliflower. It’s vegetarian pasta dish through which no person misses meat.
Elements
For 3 or 4 servings
- 300 grams (.33 lb) orecchiette or different brief pasta
- 900 grams (2 lbs) cauliflower florets
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon desk salt + salt for boiling the pasta
- 2 Tbsp recent thyme leaves
- 50 grams (1.8 oz) freshly grated pecorino cheese
- high-quality further virgin olive oil for drizzling
- freshly floor black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F, not fan compelled.
Break up or minimize the cauliflower into small florets which are kind of of even measurement. One giant cauliflower ought to yield about 900 grams of florets. Discard the stems and leaves, or save them for an additional use.
Prepare the cauliflower florets on a big oven dish or baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the cauliflower with 60 ml of olive oil, and season with 1/2 teaspoon of desk salt.
Then toss the cauliflower florets till they’re coated with oil and salt on all sides.
Roast the cauliflower for about half an hour at 160C/325F, then toss it, and return it to the oven. Attempt to get any browned components displaying down.
Hold tossing the cauliflower each half hour. In case your oven at all times works with a fan, you need to use a temperature of 150C/300F solely, and toss extra regularly, as in any other case the cauliflower will burn in spots whereas it’s nonetheless undercooked.
Hold roasting and tossing till the caulifower is properly browned. This can take 2 to three hours. Please notice {that a} smaller quantity of cauliflower will brown extra rapidly and a bigger quantity will take extra time. If you wish to put together a double quantity, I’d advocate to roast the cauliflower in two batches (which is able to take 4-6 hours when you have only one oven) as in any other case it gained’t brown correctly.
When the cauliflower is sort of finished, deliver a pot of water to a boil, then add salt and the pasta, and boil the pasta for the time indicated on the package deal. Save among the pasta cooking water.
Take the cauliflower out of the oven. Add the drained pasta, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of recent thyme leaves.
Sprinkle with 50 grams of freshly grated pecorino cheese, and season with freshly floor black pepper.
Add among the reserved pasta cooking water, and toss the pasta with the cauliflower till the cheese has melted.
Serve without delay on preheated plates, drizzled with top quality further virgin olive oil, and garnished with some extra freshly grated pecorino cheese, and a few freshly floor black pepper.
Wine pairing
This pasta dish is nice with a medium-bodied pink wine. At wine pairing dinners, we tried it with these wines:
- Maratray-Dubreuil Aloxe-Corton 2019 (100% Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France): wonderful pairing
- Le Cave Castello di Uviglie Barbera 2015 (100% Barbera, Piemonte, Italy): good pairing, however the acidity and tannins of the wine will not be an ideal match with the dish
- Raimbault Vielles Vignes Sancerre Rouge 2019 (100% Pinot Noir, Loire, France): wonderful pairing
- Campo Viejo Rioja Vindimia Seleccionada 2019 (100% Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain): good pairing however the coconut aromas from the oak getting older are a bit too robust
- Raimbault Sancerre Rouge 2022 (100% Pinot Noir, Loire, France): wonderful pairing
- Lavignone Barbera d’Asti 2022 (100% Barbera, Piemonte, Italy): wonderful pairing
