Fusilli with olives, capers and roasted cauliflower

 

When a recent snowstorm hit the Pacific Northwest, media outlets had their fun reporting that Portland residents' idea of stocking up ahead of the storm apparently involved denuding the produce aisles of kale. Really, I'm surprised it wasn't cauliflower, given its current love as a staple in cauliflower bowls, etc. 

Does a Minnesotan rush to the store for kale? No, of course not. We can't get there because of all the blasted snow. Besides, I've got two kinds of it growing in the basement. You know, for those kale emergencies.

Aside from the cauliflower, the rest of the ingredients list for this dish are pretty shelf stable, so if a trip to the grocery store looks to be annoying, it's a decent option using the seemingly omnipresent cauliflower.

Fusilli alla Siciliana

Adapted from "Lorenza’s Pasta," by Lorenza de'Medici. Serves 4 generously.

Ingredients

1 1-pound head of cauliflower, broken into florets

½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup pitted black olives (I used kalamatas); the recipe suggests Gaetas or another Greek type

4 tablespoons capers in brine

4 anchovy fillets in olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 pound of fusilli, cooked until al dente and drained, with some cooking liquid reserved

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and ground black pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until almost tender, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside. (Alternatively, you can follow the original recipe and cook with the fusilli until the pasta is al dente and the cauliflower is nearly tender, which would dirty one less pan.)

Heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook a few minutes until fragrant. Add anchovy fillets and break down with the back of a cooking spoon. Stir in olives, capers, remaining ¼ cup olive oil and parsley, cooking a few minutes more until anchovies sort of dissolve into the sauce. 

Add cooked, drained fusilli to sauce along with cauliflower. Toss to coat, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed for desired sauce consistency and cook briefly to blend flavors. Season to taste, keeping in mind that anchovies and capers are already pretty salty.

Rating: Dave really liked this. I thought it was quite fine, although perhaps not as good as a very similar recipe I've made. But it was less fuss than that one and a faster fix, so it has merit. Hard to go too far wrong with that basic ingredient list. And I could stay inside and glower at the snow.