The fundamental procedures required to make this pasta dish are easy, but this is as instructional as any simple recipe I know, and one that builds a wonderfully flavorful dish with just a few ingredients.
The bread crumbs are best when freshly made from good but slightly stale bread; coarse bread crumbs, such as those made in a food processor, are infinitely preferable to the finer store-bought variety.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim the cauliflower and divide it into florets. Salt the water and cook the cauliflower in it until it is tender but not mushy. Remove the cauliflower and set it aside; when it is cool enough to handle, chop it roughly into small pieces. (If you have a little extra time, you can poach the cauliflower whole—even leaving the leaves on if you like; they’ll add a little extra flavor to the water, and therefore to the pasta—which will save you the trouble of cutting it into florets).
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the oil and garlic together in a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden; start the pasta in the same water as you used for the cauliflower.
Step 3
When the garlic is ready, add the cauliflower and bread crumbs to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is just about done—it should be 2 or 3 minutes shy of being the way you like it—drain it, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid.
Step 4
Add the pasta to the skillet with the cauliflower and toss with a large spoon until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste along with some of the pasta water to keep the mixture from drying out. When the mixture is hot and the pasta tender and nicely glazed, serve.
Variation
Step 5
Feel free to add 3 or 4 anchovy fillets, with their oil, to the skillet along with the garlic if you like; when I’m cooking for a group that enjoys bold flavors, I always do.
