Cauliflower, enhanced with toasty almonds and a briny parsley-olive mixture, holds its own as the star in this simple and slightly spicy vegetarian supper.
Recipe information
Total Time
40 min
Yield
Makes 4 (main course) servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pulse olives and parsley in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
Step 2
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cauliflower with salt, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in water and boil 1 minute. Add olive mixture and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water. Drain in a colander and return to pot.
Step 5
Add cauliflower mixture and toss well, then add cheese and toss again. If pasta is dry, moisten with some reserved cooking water.
Step 6
Sprinkle pasta with almonds and serve immediately, with additional cheese on the side.
