For The Love Of Italian Food – Pasta And Cauliflower Recipe

Mangia! Mangia! I just can’t get enough of the great taste of Italian foods. Italian pasta, pizza, pork, beef and seafood recipes are much a part of my everyday life.

Growing up Italian in Chicago has been a wonderful culinary experience to say the least. The many different restaurants and families from different regions of Italy allowed me to taste some of the most delicious food in the world.

Food always conjures up great memories. When I cook something I haven’t had in a while, it always seems to bring me back to the last time and place I did have it. I think it’s the closest thing to a “time machine” we’ll ever experience.

Years ago at every family gathering my Grandmother Theresa made a simple dish of pasta and cauliflower. Oh how we craved for this dish after she was gone. It was filling and delicious and you just could not get enough.

So finally one day I said I was going to try and make it. I just had to have it again. There was just no way was I going to live out the rest of my life without ever eating this dish again. Determined, I tried many times and one day I came as close as I possibly could to recreating her recipe. As we all know Grandmothers did not measure anything, so this was not an easy task.

Here’s my version of my Grandmother’s recipe. I hope you an your family enjoy it as much as mine does

Grandma Theresa’s Pasta and Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 pound box of mostaccioli or rotini

2 medium size heads of cauliflower

3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped

3 or 4 bunches of long green onions chopped

1 stick of butter

2 Tbls of vegetable oil

1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation

Clean and cut cauliflower into bite size pieces.

Boil cauliflower in around 6 quarts of water until tender.

In a large frying pan sauté onions and garlic in ½ stick of butter and oil for about 5 minutes.

Add ½ cup of bread crumbs and sauté until slightly brown.

With a slotted spoon remove cauliflower and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Do not throw away the cauliflower water.

Cook the pasta in the cauliflower water until al dente. Around ten minutes.

Add remaining butter and breadcrumb to the cauliflower mixture.

Add around a cup of cauliflower water to the mixture to moisten.

Stir and cook for around 15 minutes more.

Mix the pasta and cauliflower together.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and your ready to eat.

I hope this recipe makes many memories for your family and friends.

Phil has been cooking and creating Italian dishes ever since the age of ten. His passion and love for Italian food is never ending. Visit him at http://www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com for more family favorites.