Fresh Cavatelli with Cauliflower

Name: Fresh Cavatelli with Cauliflower
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 7 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 large head cauliflower, cut in small florets; 1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) Fresh Cavatelli (page 275), or 1 pound dried pasta; 1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a milder flavor); A large pasta pot; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

December 9, 2011

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, and I regret that many people don’t sufficiently appreciate its unique flavor and nutritional value. This is not the case in Molise, where it is cooked often and creatively, as exemplified by the following two simple vegetarian pasta dishes. The first recipe, maccarun ch’i hiucc, is zesty with garlic and peperoncino.

Recipe notes

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