Serves 6
Notes
The same principle I use to bring out the cauliflower’s sweetness in this sauce—starting raw cauliflower in olive oil—works well if you’d like to make cauliflower as a side dish. In that case, cut the cauliflower into individual florets rather than small pieces.
You might want to use a little fresh oregano here, but parsley fits right in.
Finishing this dish, like the spaghetti with clam and broccoli sauce, is a bit of a balancing act. Breadcrumbs will continue to thicken the sauce as it simmers, so be careful—it’s easy to end up with a sauce that’s too thick. On the other hand, if you don’t add enough breadcrumbs, the sauce will be too watery. If either of these is the case, remember, you’re in control: simply add a little hot stock or pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick. If it’s not thick enough, add breadcrumbs—a little at a time because it takes a few seconds for them to do their thing.
Ingredients
- salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Three ¼-inch slices pancetta (about 8 ounces), cut into 1 x ¼ x ¼-inch sticks (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 pound dried cavatelli, cavatappi or shells
- 2 medium onions, diced ½ inch (about 2 cups)
- ½ head cauliflower, stalks removed, florets cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- Crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ cups hot Chicken Stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth (Chicken Stock Recipe)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, or as needed
Directions
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of it s fat and is lightly browned but still soft in the center, about 4 minutes. Don’t overcook the pancetta.
Stir the cavatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.
Stir the onion into the skillet and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is wilted and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and a little crushed red pepper.
Pour the chicken stock into the skillet, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by about one-half, about 5 minutes.
If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing and stirring to coat the pasta. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Stir the breadcrumbs, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Cook, stirring and tossing the pasta until the sauce is lightly thickened. Serve at once.
