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

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.