Cauliflower cheese and pepper spaghetti
Cauliflower cheese and pepper spaghetti
Ed Smith
Ed Smith
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower with leaves (about 500g)
- 150g spaghetti
- 60g salted butter
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 50g Parmesan, or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
Step by step
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Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Trim the leaves from the cauliflower; discard only the gnarly outer leaves. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and stem into similar sized pieces.
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Cook the spaghetti in the water according to the pack instructions. At the same time, put a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 20g butter; when it starts frothing, tip in the cauliflower florets and stems and cook for 8-10 minutes on a medium- high heat until golden, stirring occasionally.
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When the spaghetti is 1 minute away from being done, add the thicker cauliflower leaves into the pasta water. Add the remaining butter, 6 tablespoons of pasta water and black pepper to the cauliflower pan. Stir to form a sauce.
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Drain the spaghetti and leaves, reserving a little more of the cooking water. Return them to the pan, sprinkle the Parmesan over the top; add the florets and thinner cauliflower leaves, making sure the cauliflower is well distributed. Add a spoon or two of cooking water if necessary. Leave the pasta to relax into its sauce for 1 minute before serving in warmed bowls.