Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Sage and Walnut Sauce

By dinner at sheila's • December 30, 2011 • 0 Comments

⎙

Author Notes: My inspiration for this sauce comes from a recipe I've made for a Potato and Sage Gratin from the Festive Occasions Cookbook by Chuck Williams and Joyce Goldstein. I combined this sauce which is flavored with garlic, sage, and nutmeg with roasted caulifower, toasted walnuts and Pecorino Romano cheese and turned it into a yummy pasta dish. But, it's good enough to stand alone as a side dish if you're not in the mood for pasta! - dinner at sheila's

Serves 6

1 large caulifower, trimmed and cut into large florets
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
8 Fresh sage leaves, chopped fine plus a few whole leaves for garnish
1 and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Freshly gound black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup Toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 pounds cellentani pasta, cooked al dente (or pasta of your choosing)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing occasionally until browned and just tender, about 15 minutes.
While cauliflower is roasting, bring the milk, cream, garlic and sage to a boil in a saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
When the cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Put the cauliflower in a baking dish, scraping up any browned bits.
Pour the cream mixture over, cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes while you toast the walnuts in a dry skillet on top of the stove on low heat. When cool, coarsely chop the walnuts.
Bake the cauliflower, covered with foil for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Pecorino Romano cheese and the chopped walnuts on top and bake, uncovered, another 10 minutes.
Remove cauliflower and set aside.
Pour cream into a large saucepan and heat til it begins to thicken.
Add cooked pasta to sauce. Mix til coated. Place in pasta bowl and top with cauliflower mixture.
Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and sage leaves.