Sicilian Night

I ended up taking a culinary trip to Sicily last night. The combination of sweet, salty, spicy and zesty flavors played symphonies for my taste buds. Here is what I made and feasted on.

Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta: Yields 6 Servings
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 box whole wheat pasta (about 7 oz)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz Sicilian green olives, pitted and halved
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated pecerino cheese, plus extra for topping (optional-omit for vegan)
1/4 cup pine nuts,toasted
salt, to taste

1. Blanch cauliflower in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a strainer and drain. While water comes to a boil and cauliflower blanches, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot, cook 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, cooking 1 minute longer.
2. Add cauliflower and crushed red pepper flakes to shallot and garlic, cooking until starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Meanwhile, return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
3. To cauliflower mixture, add olives, capers, raisins, rosemary, thyme, honey and white wine. Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 7 minutes. (This will end up taking about the same amount of time as the pasta takes to cook) Stir pasta, cheese and pine nuts into the cauliflower mixture. Readjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve warm garnished with with additional grated cheese, if desired.


Sauteed Broccoli Rabe: Yields 6 servings
2 bunches broccoli rabe, 2-3 inches of tougher stems removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated lemon zest
salt, to taste

1. Blanch broccoli rabe in salted boiling salted water for 1 minute. Shock in ice water and drain.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper, cooking 1 minute more. Add in broccoli rabe and cook until tender and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Toss with lemon zest and season to taste with salt.