Easy and delicious, this is a different way of using cauliflower and a take on traditional pesto. It can become a favorite fast. It's a sauce with Mediterranean flavors that uses cauliflower as its main ingredients. A genius recipe for pasta.
A unique pesto you were not expecting
Pestos are easy and wonderful condiments to have on hand.
I particularly love the spinach lemon pesto, but this one is fast becoming a staple.
I know it's not traditional and some might think using the word pesto is too much. But this recipe hails from the phenomenal Deb Perelman, of Smitten Kitchen fame. So the name is what it is.
And I cannot see a good pesto recipe and not make it.
Made in a food processor with simple ingredients and perfect proportions between them. I'm in.
What can I say? I ate it for two days in a row. And made it twice in two weeks.
When you live alone most of the time, that means a lot of servings. It's an absolute keeper. And I suggest you do the same.
Make it once and keep it in your files forever.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Type of pasta: I like it with linguini or other long pasta, but this pesto works well with any type. So choose your favorite.
- Storing: keep it refrigerated in a glass jar (first choice) or other airtight container. It keeps for about a week.
- Vinegar: I like red wine, but sherry or white wine vinegar work well. It's a small amount but the acid balances the pesto.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: if you buy them in olive oil, you might want to use less oil for the pesto. Also, they might be soft enough to cut directly, no need to soften them in hot water.
Related recipes you might like:
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Pasta with Cauliflower Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound cauliflower
- 1 medium shallot
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ cup almonds, lightly toasted
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, or asiago cheese
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt , or to taste
- pinch black pepper, or to taste, freshly ground
- 1 pound linguini, or pasta of choice
- grated Parmesan cheese, or asiago cheese, for serving
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, put 4 sun-dried tomatoes and add boiling water to cover. Let stand minutes to soften, then drain and chop coarsely.
- Rinse a 1 pound cauliflower piece, cut off the leaves and hard stalks. Cut into chunks, and put in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the size of couscous; it will be irregular. Transfer to a bowl but don't rinse the food processor bowl.
- Put a large pot of abundant water to boil for cooking the pasta.
- Add 1 medium shallot, pinch red pepper flakes, ½ cup almonds, 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon capers, drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley to the processor bowl. Process until they're as fine as the cauliflower.
- Add ⅓ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and pulse until a paste forms. If you feel it's too dry for your taste, add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower, add ¼ teaspoon salt and pinch black pepper, or to taste.
- Cook 1 pound linguini until al dente in abundant salted water according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl (it can be the serving bowl).
- Add half of the pesto and mix gently. Add the remaining pesto, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves and serve immediately.
- If you don't use all the pesto, refrigerate it in a covered jar or airtight container.
juliana De Souza says
I would like to make this pasta but I since I don’t like cauliflower, do you think I can omit it?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Juliana, this recipe is all about the cauliflower so I think you're better off doing another recipe.
Cocoa and Lavender says
Paula, I am going to make this as soon as I get home from this trip! I love EVERY ingredient! And your photos make it all the more enticing! ~ David
Carole says
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole's Chatter is collecting links to dishes using cauliflower and/or cabbage. I do hope you link this in. This is the link . It would be great if you checked out some of the other links – there are lots of good ones already. Cheers
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
ok, trying this on Friday or Saturday! can't wait!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Awww, what a sweet and clever friend, Paula! But it's also because you were a sweet and loving friend in the first place and one good turn deserves another. I need this book in my life stat. And girl, you crack me up with your posts. I used to get religious people trying to convert me all the time when I used to live in a house. Thank God for apartments and security systems!
Jamie says
This is not the first cauliflower recipe I have seen this morning and now I want cauliflower! This recipe looks wonderful and the dish looks fabulous!