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Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants | Coming Home to Sicily

by Cathy Arkle 10 Comments

Pasta with cauliflower florets cooked in a sauce of white wine, anchovies, onions, pine nuts, and currants topped with breadcrumbs and a kiss of cinnamon.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts andCurrants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook by Fabrizia Lanza

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants is just a sample of Sicilian cooking from Fabrizia Lanza‘s cookbook Coming Home to Sicily – Seasonal Harvest and Cooking from Case Vecchie. Authentic, seasonal Sicilian recipes are featured in this beautifully photographed book.

Fabrizia Lanza & her cookbook Coming Home to Sicily

At a recent Melissa’s Produce luncheon, Fabrizia shared about her life at Case Vecchie on her family’s estate, Regaleali. She spoke passionately about her family’s recipes from seasonal harvests, the local foods they produce, and interesting programs/classes at The Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in Sicily, which teaches food preparation according to centuries old traditions.

Fresh in season vegetables from Melissas Produce

Gorgeous seasonal vegetables from Melissas Produce used for Fabrizia’s recipes

Fabrizia’s seasonal fresh recipes are those she grew up with; she’s added some of her own creative touches to them as well.

She demonstrated one of those recipes — Taralli (Lemony Knotted Cookies).

Fabrizia Lanza making Taralli from Coming Home to Sicily

I am pretty sure coffee was invented for these delightful bites.

But the recipe that intrigued me the most is the following, because of its aromas and varied textures.

Today’s Recipe: Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts andCurrants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook by Fabrizia Lanza

This recipe comes together quickly for a perfect weeknight meal.

ingredients for Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook

I substituted bucatini pasta for the perciatelli. You could use spaghetti as well.

Making Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook

Even if you think you are not an anchovy lover, you will appreciate them here because once they’re mashed into the sauce, they completely melt into the background and provide the dish with rich and nutty undertones.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts andCurrants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook by Fabrizia Lanza

The cinnamon here, an influence from the Saracens who once conquered Sicily, gives this dish an exotic flavor, so don’t even tempted to leave it out.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts andCurrants from Coming Home to Sicily Cookbook by Fabrizia Lanza
Print

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants

Servings 6
Author Fabrizia Lanza

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 small heads green cauliflower about 2 pounds, cut into I-inch florets
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion chopped
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 3 tablespoons dried currants
  • 1 tablespoon estratto or good-quality sun-dried tomato paste
  • 1 cup white wine
  • Fine sea salt and black pepper

Toasted Breadcrumbs

  • ¼ cup unseasoned dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 pound perciatelli

Instructions

  1. Cook the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain. Set aside.
  2. 2. Combine the olive oil and onion in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until just golden, about 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and mash them into the onions, then stir in the pine nuts, currants, and the cauliflower. Stir the estratto into the wine until dissolved, then add to the cauliflower with I cup reserved cooking water and simmer until the cauliflower is falling apart (add a bit more cooking water if mixture gets too dry). Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

  3. Make the toasted breadcrumbs: Combine the breadcrumbs and olive oil in a small skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until well toasted. Stir in the parsley and cinnamon. Set aside.
  4. Cook the perciatelli in a large pot of boiling well-salted water (for al dente it’s usually 7 minutes). Drain and gently toss with the cauliflower sauce and sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top.

Fabrizia hopes Coming Home to Sicily conveys not just a collection of recipes, but a way of life, not just a how-to, but an inspiration for using fresh, seasonal produce as a way of life.

Photo of Fabrizia Lanza and Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought

Thanks Fabrizia for sharing your love of preserving a culture worth saving and inspiring me.

…and then, she paused for thought.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Coming Home to Sicily to review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Yum

Filed Under: Ethnic, Main Dishes, Party Food, Recipes Tagged With: Case Vecchie, Coming Home to Sicily, Fabrizia Lanza, Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Currants

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. chef mimi

    at

    Fabuloso! Sicilian food is so vibrant, and I love the sweet additions that work so well. Never heard of this pasta so I can’t wait to look it up! What a fun time!

    Reply
    • Cathy Arkle

      at

      Thanks Chef Mimi! I do love the Sicilian way of life. I hope to get there some day.

      Reply
  2. Christina Conte

    at

    I LOVED Sicily, and have been dying to return! This cookbook would be a delight to peruse and I think your pasta dish looks beautiful! That’s great that Fabrizia is keeping all these wonderful traditions going. Love it!

    Reply
    • Cathy Arkle

      at

      Thanks Christina, Sicily is on my bucket list. I love what Fabrizia is doing for preserving the culture of Sicily.

      Reply
  3. Fresh Food in a Flash

    at

    I made this too and loved it. That green cauliflower is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Cathy Arkle

      at

      I am happy to hear you loved it!

      Reply
  4. cookingontheweekends

    at

    The combination of flavors in this recipe are amazing! I want a plate of it right now — and I’ve eaten and it’s 10 pm! Ha! Beautiful recipe and your presentation is perfect.

    Reply
    • cathy

      at

      LOL thanks Valentina!

      Reply
  5. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    at

    I’m having trouble with my comments going through but this dish looks great.

    Reply
    • cathy

      at

      Thanks Karen, I will check into the comments issue. Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply

I would love to hear from you!Cancel reply

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Welcome to She Paused 4 Thought! I’m Cathy - a farm girl from Iowa living in Los Angeles. Let’s cook, laugh, travel & have fun together. Read More…

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