Pasta with green cauliflower, pine nuts, and currants
1 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Heads green cauliflower; (about 2 pound) | |
| 1 | medium | Red onion; chopped |
| ¼ | cup | Olive oil; up to 1/3 |
| 3 | Anchovy fillets | |
| 1 | cup | Smooth tomato sauce |
| 1 | cup | White wine |
| 3 | tablespoons | Pine nuts |
| 3 | tablespoons | Dried currants; soaked in water for |
| ; 5 minutes if very | ||
| ; dry | ||
| Salt | ||
| Black pepper | ||
| 1 | pounds | Perciatelli |
| 2 | pounds | Ripe tomatoes; (or canned Italian |
| ; plum tomatoes) | ||
| 1 | large | Onion; finely chopped |
| 2 | Garlic cloves; minced | |
| ¼ | cup | Olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon | Sugar |
| ¼ | cup | Basil leaves |
| Salt | ||
| Black pepper | ||
Directions
SMOOTH TOMATO SAUCE
Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch florets and cook in boiling salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain. Set aside. Saute' the onion in the olive oil for 5 to 6 minutes, until just golden. Add the anchovies and mash them, then add the cauliflower with the reserved cooking water and the tomato sauce. Add the wine, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove cover, simmer an additional 15 to 20 minutes until desired consistency is reached. Stir in the pine nuts and currants. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Cook the perciatelli in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Gently toss with half of the cauliflower sauce.
Put the remaining sauce on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 to 6 as a pasta course.
Smooth Tomato Sauce:
If using plum tomatoes, cut them in half lengthwise. If the tomatoes are large, cut them into quarters. Put the tomatoes into a medium nonreactive saucepan. Cover and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until soft. The length of time the tomatoes take to cook will depend upon their variety and ripeness.
Once they are soft, pass the tomatoes through a food mill and reserve the puree in a bowl. Saute' the onions and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Add the tomato puree, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for at least 20 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened to your liking. Puree sauce again. Makes 2½ to 3 cup of sauce.
Recipes from The Heart of Sicily: Recipes and Reminiscences of Regaleali, a Country Estate by Anna Tasca Lanza (Clarkson Potter, copyright 1993 by Anna Tasca Lanza).
Converted by MC_Buster.
Recipe by: Good Morning America Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.