Cauliflower with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes

Name: Cauliflower with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds); 1 medium onion; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste; 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes; 1/2 cup pitted black Italian olives, such as Gaeta or taggiasca; A heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger, with a tight-fitting cover

December 9, 2011

I love cauliflower, but I know not everyone shares my passion for this nutritious but sometimes bland vegetable. This recipe shows that the right cooking method and complementary ingredients can make a cauliflower dish that can steal the show. As is my way with most vegetables, I skillet-cook the cauliflower—slowly sautéing it with little or no added moisture. That way, more of the essential vegetable flavor is retained and intensified, adding layers of caramelization. Here, too, the companion vegetables enhance the cauliflower, with olives lending earthy complexity, and cherry tomatoes giving acidity and freshness. This can be made in advance and reheated. And if you happen to have some left over, it can be the base for a great risotto, or for dressing a plate of pasta for two.

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