Bucatini with Roasted Cauliflower

Within two days of receiving Sara Forte’s The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook, I read it cover to cover. I’ve already made three of the recipes. If were someone who dog-ears pages, I’m pretty sure they’d all be marked. Seriously. It’s good tasting food that just happens to be good FOR you. Not the other way around. Novel.

I’m definitely bummed I didn’t get to Powell’s when she came through Portland on her book tour. That’s not weird, is it? I’m sure I’d just turn into a mumbling bumbling star-struck weirdo, though, so it’s probably for the best. Maybe for book two?

The original recipe has capellini, which clearly tested my nonexistent pasta knowledge. I thought I had some. Silly me. Bucatini is really not the same thing. At all. But it’s still dang delicious. I shake my fist at you, Italians. There are way too many awesome pastas that seem really similar, but really aren’t. I’m sure there is an app for that.

PS – I also cooked up a lamb sausage and sliced some up for added protein, but it really doesn’t need it.

Inspiration: The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets as similarly shaped as possible
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/2 pound whole grain bucatini
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into thin slices [thanks, Grammy]
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• grated/shaved pecorino

Preparation

Preheat the oven 425°, and bring a large pot of boiling water for your pasta. Toss the cauliflower in a large bowl with the olive oil. Once it’s all coated, sprinkle with the lemon pepper seasoning, a pinch of salt, and the nutmeg. Toss it all again before spreading it out over a rimmed baking sheet. Place it in the oven, stirring occasionally until it’s starting to get caramelized brown spots. This should take between 25-35 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, but pull it out a minute before it says to. While it cooks, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Swirl it around as it heats until it starts to darken and smell toasty [a couple minutes].

Turn off the heat and drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the broend butter, a splash of the pasta water, the balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine. Add the cauliflower and toasted hazelnuts. Toss to combine again. Garnish with fresh grated/shaved pecorino.