Home Sweet Jones

When you're jonesing for something homemade

Navigation
  • All Recipes
  • By Type
    • 40 Minutes or Less
    • Cheap Eats
    • Gluten Free
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan Keto
  • About
    • My Cancer Healing Journey

Pasta Con Cavofiore: Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower

June 5, 2014 by Maggie Jones 8 Comments

15 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Pasta con Cavafiore: Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta
I usually bulk up our pasta dishes with a vegetable and, more often than not, that vegetable is cauliflower. It’s a great vessel for any sauce and blends right into the flavor or texture of the pasta. In fact, in some dishes like my baked ziti (so sorry for the gross, ancient pictures – I swear I’m going to make this again as soon as I have an oven – ah, my eyeballs!), you can’t even tell it’s there.

I know I wasn’t the first person to figure this out; or probably even the eighteen billion and sixth.  I’m just saying it’s a neat thing to do.Pasta con Cavafiore: Sicilian Cauliflower PastaCauliflower is a core part of this traditional Sicilian dish, named, not surprisingly, Pasta con Cavofiore.  The flavors are unusually exotic for Italian cuisine: rich saffron, complex anchovy, sweet currant and refreshing cauliflower. There’s no heavy sauce here; just onion, garlic, olive oil, and a whisper of Parmesan. It’s not traditional but I really prefer this with the flavor of whole wheat pasta.

If you can’t find anchovies, you can substitute a tablespoonful or so of anchovy paste. Don’t leave it out if you can avoid it. Even though it will smell fishy when you first open the tin and add them to the pan, they dissolve away into nothing but an extra deep layer of flavor. I know how nerdy-lame that sounds and am embarrassed that I typed it but just add the darn anchovy unless you’re vegetarian or allergic.

Pasta Con Cavofiore: Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 huge servings

Serving Size: about 2 to 2-1/2 cups

Calories per serving: 291

Fat per serving: 8.2g

Pasta Con Cavofiore: Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c currants
  • 1/4 c warm water
  • 1 small pinch of saffron threads
  • 1 tablespoons plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 c breadcrumbs
  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 6 oz whole wheat pasta
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 anchovy fillets
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper, or more to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

In a small bowl, cover the currants with warm water and sprinkle with saffron. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and saute, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can mix breadcrumbs with oil and toast under the broiler for 2-4 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Break the cauliflower into florets and boil until just tender, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove cauliflower to a plate.

Add pasta to the cauliflower water and cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large saucepan or brasier over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add anchovies and cook, stirring, until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper and saute, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic saute until fragrant, another minute.

Add pasta and cauliflower to the pan, stir to combine. Stir in currants, saffron soaking liquid and cheese.

Top with toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories 291 / Total Fat 8.2g / Saturated Fat 1.9g / Trans Fat 0.0g / Cholesterol 8mg / Sodium 291mg / Potassium 334mg / Total Carbohydrates 45.2g / Dietary Fiber 7.8g / Sugars 5.7g / Protein 11.6g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 / PointsPlus: 7

3.1
https://www.homesweetjones.com/2014/06/pasta-con-cavofiore-sicilian-pasta-cauliflower/

Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta Close Up

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Filed Under: Entrees: Fish and Seafood, Recipes Tagged With: 40 Minutes or Less, Cheap Eats, Low Calorie

« Roasted Corn and Arugula Salad
Shrimp Fajita Tacos »

Comments

  1. Lynn D. says

    June 7, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    Looks absolutely delicious and I have all the ingredients. Am I missing what to do with the onion?

    Reply
    • Maggie Jones says

      June 7, 2014 at 5:40 pm

      Oh my gosh! How could I miss that? So sorry! I just updated the recipe.

      Add the onion after the anchovies melt and before the garlic.

      Thanks so much for pointing it out! I hope you love this!

      Reply
  2. Dave H says

    June 9, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    Looks delicious!

    Reply
  3. Brad Jones (Maggie's husband) says

    June 10, 2014 at 1:53 am

    I really like this dish. It seems like pasta is always served with stewed tomatoes and powdery parmesan. This pasta goes in a different direction and is a refreshing change. It’s simple, but tasty and filling.

    Reply
  4. Rocco says

    April 20, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    This recipe is better if you roast the cauliflower in olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, anchovies, peppers and add some thyme. If you take about 3/4 of the cauliflower and the sautéed parts and add them to a food processor with a couple ladles of pasta water, you can produce a blend that is savory and delicious. Hand mix it with the the reserved cauliflower, pasta and currants. This is more like how my Nonna made it when I was little.

    Reply
    • Maggie Jones says

      August 16, 2021 at 9:23 am

      Mmmmm… I love roasted cauliflower! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Totally Killer 300 Calorie Dinner Ideas | Brownie Bites Blog says:
    February 22, 2017 at 7:19 am

    […] Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower by Home Sweet Jones […]

    Reply
  2. Totally Killer 300 Calorie Dinner Ideas - Brownie Bites Blog says:
    May 20, 2021 at 8:34 pm

    […] Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower by Home Sweet Jones […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Get recipes by email:

Spring Favorites

Filling and Fresh Blueberry, Kale, Quinoa Salad

Blueberry, Kale and Quinoa Salad

Thai Mango salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Thai Mango Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Caprese chicken with balsamic glaze

Caprese Chicken with Reduced Balsamic Drizzle

Crab Cakes

Stress-Free Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

Voodoo shrimp and grits close up

Voodoo Shrimp

Cedar-plank salmon cooks up perfectly in the oven

Cedar Plank Salmon in the Oven

Weeknight Shredded Jerk Chicken Bowl with Mango Avocado Salsa - Crockpot, instapot of stovetop

Jerk Chicken Bowl with Mango Avocado Salsa

Raspberry Lemon Sangria

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade Sangria

Cajun Chicken Pasta Light

Lightened Up Cajun Chicken Pasta

Keto Shrimp Coconut Soup

Keto Thai-Style Coconut Shrimp Soup

Hi! I’m Maggie!

So happy to meet you! My husband and I love cooking, food, and photography. We're here to share some of our favorite recipes and DIY tips. Read More…

Most Talked About

Holiday moscow mule for Christmas or Thanksgiving
This low calorie French Onion Soup is easy to make
Crispy Potato Tacos with Roasted Poblanos and Tomatillo Salsa
Homemade Vegan Mayonnaise with no oil
Cedar-plank salmon cooks up perfectly in the oven
Salmon Rillettes is the greatest salmon you've ever tasted
Some of the links in this blog are affiliate links, which means that I may get a commissions if you decide to purchase anything from the company after you click through. I only link to products that I use and love myself.

Copyright © 2025 Maggie Jones | Privacy Policy

15 shares