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Gemelli with Spicy Cauliflower

From The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • About 1 cup fresh soft bread crumbs (about 2 ounces) made from crustless, slightly stale, chewy white peasant-style bread; crusts removed, insides blitzed in the food processor (not too much, you want a variety of textures);
  • About 1/4 cup mild-tasting olive oil
  • About 24 ounces of cauliflower; leaves removed and stem end trimmed flush if you want to use broccoli too, use 12 ounces broccoli, 12 ounces cauliflower
  • Salt
  • 1 generous tablespoon capers rinsed, pressed dry between towels, and slightly chopped
  • 1 pound penne spaghetti, orecchiette, fusilli, or medium shells (I used gemelli)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped salt-packed anchovy fillets 4 to 6 fillets (I used oil-packed from Fish Wife)
  • 6 small garlic cloves coarsely chopped
  • About 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds lightly pounded in a mortar (I used a full teaspoon)
  • 4 to 8 pinches dried chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tightly packed coarsely chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted black olives such as Nicoise, Gaeta, or Nyons (I left this out and added grated Pecorino and Parmesan instead)

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425.
  2. Toss the breadcrumbs with 2 teaspoons of oil (I also sprinkled with salt), spread on a baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden. Keep the crumbs on the stove top until needed.
  3. Slice the cauliflower about 1/8 inch thick, and generally lengthwise. Most of the slices will break apart as you produce them, yielding a pile of smooth stem pieces, loose cauliflower crumbs, and a few delicate slabs with stem and flower both. Don’t worry if the slices are of uneven thickness; that will make for more textural variety.
  4. Warm about 1/4 cup of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add most of the sliced cauliflower, conveniently leaving the small bits behind on the cutting board for the moment. (They’ll burn if you add them too soon.) The oil should sizzle quietly. Swirl the pan, and leave the vegetables to cook until you see the edge bits browning, about 3 minutes. Salt very lightly and toss or stir and fold gently. Add a few more spoonfuls of oil and scrape the remaining bits of cauliflower into the pan. Add the capers and swirl gently. Continue cooking over medium heat until the edges begin to brown, another few minutes, then give the pan another stir or toss. Don’t stir too soon or to often, or you will get a homogenous, steamy pile of vegetables instead of a crispy, chewy one. Most of the capers and cauliflower crumbs will shrink into crispy confetti-like bits.
  5. Meanwhile, drop the pasta into 6 quarts of rapidly boiling water seasoned with a scant 2 tablespoons salt (a little more if using kosher salt). Stir, and cook al dente. Set a wide bowl or platter on the stovetop (or in the still-warm oven) to heat.
  6. Once the mass of cauliflower has shrunken by about one-third and is largely tender, reduce the heat, add another few spoonfuls of oil, and scatter the chopped anchovy, garlic, fennel, and chili over all. Give the vegetables a stir or toss to distribute. Cook for another few minutes, then add the parsley and olives. Taste — every flavor should be clamoring for dominance. Adjust as needed.
  7. Toss with the well-drained pasta (add cheese here if using) and garnish with the warm, toasted bread crumbs.

Notes

Note: the original recipe calls for a combination of broccoli and cauliflower; I went all-cauliflower