This pasta has so much heft from roasted cauliflower, and a few key power-packed ingredients give it tons of flavor throughout. The real star of the show, though, is the breadcrumb topping. It's very simple, but it gives the entire pasta so much texture, and really elevates the entire feel of it. I like to serve this pasta on a more wide and shallow dish so that every bite of orecchiette gets coated in the crispy breadcrumbs. Mmm!

Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Bread Crumbs
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Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Bread Crumbs

Category

Main Course

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Image of Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower (chopped into ½-inch pieces)
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 pound orecchiette pasta
  • 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
  • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 5 anchovy filets packed in oil (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the cauliflower midway through, until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well, reserving 1½ cups of pasta water.
  3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast until fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
  4. In that same large sauté pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the anchovies to help them dissolve in the oil. This will take about 2 minutes. Add the chili flakes and the cauliflower and toss gently to coat.
  5. Add to the pan the cooked pasta, half of the reserved pasta water, remaining ½ cup cheese, and the parsley. Toss to coat, and simmer for another 2 minutes, adding additional pasta water as needed to moisten. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture and drizzle with more olive oil if desired.
nut free
Italian Riviera Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Italian Riviera Extra Virgin Olive Oil

from $33.00
Organic Orecchiette Pasta

Organic Orecchiette Pasta

from $10.00