Romanesco Rotini

Spirals on spirals in this Romanesco Rotini pasta family favorite. This gorgeous and fun dish is simple yet unique.  It's one of those easy-to-prep recipes that will make your family wonder if you may have a personal chef in your kitchen. 

When you see this beautiful cauliflower at your local market, grab a box of spiral pasta and stir it up! 

If you like sweet and savory, add raisins or dried currants to this dish! 

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large or 2 small Romanesco cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 12 oz. rotini (fusilli, spiral) pasta
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp green pitted olives, sliced in half
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• kosher salt
• 1/4 lemon for garnish
• flake salt and pepper to taste
• optional; if you love sweet and savory, you can add dried currants or raisins to taste 

METHOD 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a baking dish inside to heat up.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water, and cook pasta according to instructions on the package.
3. Place Romanesco cauliflower florets in a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp of evoo, garlic, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt and stir well. 
4. With oven mits, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and spread the florets evenly across the baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes until the florets begin to brown and are slightly soft. 
5. Once the pasta and florets are cooked, use the pasta pot to combine the two, and add capers, olives, 4 tbsp evoo, and parsley, and stir well.
6. When you are ready to serve, set the stove to simmer and stir it all together over the heat for 1 minute to warm the dish. 
7. Serve with a lemon wedge garnish and flake salt and pepper to taste.