Lemon Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Panko & Arugula
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This is an amazing vegetarian pasta that comes together in under 30 minutes, making it a quick, healthy dinner to have on the table on a busy weeknight.
I've also tried this recipe using vegan parmesan cheese, and it tastes amazing! So you can easily modify it to be vegan as needed. You can also sub GF panko and GF pasta to keep this recipe gluten free.
I love to use diced red onions in this recipe, but it's super flexible - shallot, yellow onion, or even leeks would work, just use whatever kind of onion. you have on hand.
The key is to cook the cauliflower over high enough heat that it starts to sear and brown a little before you put the lid on the pan to let it steam and cook through, and then make sure you save a cup of the pasta cooking water after the pasta is almost done cooking - the pasta cooking water + the cheese (regular or vegan) is what makes the sauce for this pasta.
The recipe calls for 1 large head of cauliflower or two smaller heads - cauliflower heads can really range in size so definitely use two if yours are smaller. I used one head of white cauliflower and 1 small head of romesco and it was delicious - feel free to use what you have.
I love to toss a bunch of baby arugula into the pasta before serving to let it just start to wilt - it adds a brightness and a peppery flavor to the dish and sneaks in a bit more greens.
Serves 2.
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Directions
Dice your red onion (or onion of choice) and cut your 2 small or 1 large head of cauliflower into florets. Using a vegetable peeler, peel away the zest of the lemon. Roughly chop up the peeled lemon zest and set aside in a small bowl. Cut your lemon in half, you'll use the juice of it later.
Heat a medium pot of well salted water and bring to a boil.
Heat a large skillet / wide, shallow pan over medium heat. Add 3 of the tablespoons of olive oil and the chili flakes, and then once hot add the ~1 cup diced red onion (or other onion of choice). Add 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften ~3 minutes.
Add the cauliflower florets to the pan with the onion, along with another 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium/ high heat until the cauliflower begins to brown in spots, ~2-3 minutes. Add in half of your chopped lemon zest and stir, then cover the pot with a lid and drop the heat to medium low. Continue to let the cauliflower cook covered for ~5-7 minutes. If you don't have a lid that fits your pan, use a baking sheet!
Once your salted water is boiling, add the 10 oz of dried spaghetti and cook until al dente per the package instructions.
In a a small skillet / pan, add the 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Stir the breadcrumbs well to mix in the oil and salt, then heat over medium low to toast, stirring regularly. The panko can go from uncooked to burnt pretty quickly, so pay close attention and keep stirring to prevent burning. It should only take 3-4 minutes for the panko to toast. Once the panko is a nice golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the lid from the pan with the cauliflower. Add in the juice of the lemon you set aside earlier, and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping up any browned spots on the bottom fo the pan.
As soon as the pasta is cooked to al dente, immediately transfer the pasta to the pan with tongs (don't strain the pasta) and use a liquid measuring cup to scoop out and save a cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Turn off the heat to the pan with the cauliflower. Add the 1/3 cup grated parmesan and half of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to the pan with the cooked pasta and cauliflower. Use your tongs to stir the pasta together vigorously, helping the cheese melt into the pasta water to form your sauce. If it starts to look clumpy, add a splash more water and keep stirring. You may not use all the reserved pasta water.
Add in the 2 cups baby arugula and the remaining lemon zest and continue to stir the arugula into the pasta and help it wilt.
Divide the pasta between 2 bowls. Top with the toasted panko, the chopped parsley, and extra grated parmesan to taste. Serve and enjoy!