Okay! Here in NYC we’ve made it through our first week of sheltering in place on top of the initial week of social distancing. We are…HANGING IN THERE! I’m cycling through two to three distinct moods per day, ranging from EVERYTHING IS FINE to LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. Sometimes I’m giving pep talks, other times I’m feeling extremely sorry for myself. The one constant is that I’m literally always looking towards the next meal.
This morning I woke up at 4:30AM to place my grocery order on Instacart and was told that all shoppers were already busy for the day. This sent me into a two-hour spiral of anxiety about groceries before sunrise. Let me be clear: this was not based on fears of food shortage. This was me scenario planning the next three days, and what would be the best time to go to which store to ensure the fewest crowds and the most food options. Let me also be clear that I have no other plans of any kind for the foreseeable future and Fairway is open 24/7. This is my brain on quarantine!
In the absence of being able to go anywhere, or see anyone, or make any plans, meal planning is the one thing I’m really able to control and cooking and baking are a lifeline. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of Middle Eastern cooking (lots of veggies, grain salads, legumes and fresh herbs), with dishes that are easy to mix and match. But this cauliflower pasta was something I made a few months ago that I absolutely fell in love with.
This is a very pantry-forward recipe that really only requires fresh cauliflower. It breaks down into something rich and creamy, and with an umami hit of anchovies and the crunch of toasty breadcrumbs, it’s got everything you need in terms of flavor and texture. If you’re experiencing grocery-related anxiety, or anxiety of any kind, or if you don’t have anxiety but you’re just hungry, I think this would be a great quarantine dinner.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup / 60g toasted bread crumbs, homemade or commercial
- 1 head cauliflower, separated into florets and finely chopped
- 6 to 8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon peperoncini
- Salt and pepper
- 5 whole canned San Marzano tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 lb. / 500g rigatoni or penne rigate
Instructions
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, stir well and cook, stirring frequently, until they are well toasted, about 15 minutes. Set them aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the same frying pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the anchovies, garlic and peperoncini and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup water, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes more.
- Add the tomatoes to the cauliflower mixture, stir well and continue to cook, uncovered, until the tomato liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot. Stir in the cauliflower mixture and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Pass the breadcrumbs at the table.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2020/03/27/rigatoni-with-cauliflower/
