Creamy cauliflower and hazelnut pasta
A super creamy and nutty cauliflower pasta recipe you will eat again and again!
If you love a creamy pasta dish, this cauliflower and hazelnut pasta recipe is definitely for you. This is not only a flavorful dish, but also very healthy.
Cauliflower is very versatile, you could make a full meal just from it. From appetizers to side dishes like the cauliflower gratin, to cauliflower steak and much more. Pasta with cauliflower is very common in Sicily and usually contains pine nuts and raisins, and often also anchovies. This version is very different and is made with hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts gives the dish a very nutty and earthy flavor, and also a very elegant touch. Cauliflower sometimes can be a bit overwhelming, but in this recipe the nuts balance the taste making it mellower and more palatable to picky eaters.
Ingredients and substitutions and variations
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cauliflower: always look for local and seasonal veggies. In Italy for example cauliflower grows from late autumn to early spring, so it’s available in the farmers market from November to late April. In the winter months cauliflower is tastier and crunchier. You can buy it for a cheaper price and is always a more sustainable option. You can use white, purple or yellow cauliflower. If you can find the colored varieties you will add more nutrients to your dish, as well as a touch of color. Using the purple one can be perfect when you have guests. Your pasta will soon become a showstopper! (and it will also be very very healthy!)
If you cannot find cauliflower or do no like it, you can make this dish with broccoli, the taste will be a bit more intense, but still very very good. If you can find it, try using the Romanesco Broccoli. - Hazelnuts: hazelnuts are the best for this recipe, however if it’s hard to find it in your local area, try using walnuts or almonds. Almonds goes very very well with cauliflower. The taste will be ever so slightly different, but still great. Use toasted nuts to make this dish. It will be a real game changer!
- Parmigiano: Parmigiano or Grana are both perfect. If you cannot find one of them, use any hard aged cheese. Do not use cheddar. Its taste is usually too strong and you will lose the subtle flavors of the nuts and cauliflower.
- Milk: any milk will do for this recipe. So whether you buy cow milk or use an alternative, the taste won’t change. The only one I would avoid is coconut.
Variations to the recipe
FOR VEGAN: If you use plant based cheese and milk, you can easy make a vegan version of this dish.
FOR MEAT EATERS: you can add some bacon, pancetta or an Italian sausage to the recipe. When you’re almost ready to drain the pasta, add the meat of your choice, cut into small pieces to the pan. Cook for a few minutes then add the pasta and stir fry.
RICHER TASTE: For a richer taste cook the cauliflower in cream instead of milk and use pecorino instead of parmigiano.
Cauliflower pasta health facts
This dish does not only taste great, it is also a super healthy full meal in itself. Let’s see how those simple ingredients can help our health:
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower is rich in Vitamin C even after it’s cooked. It also contains folic acid, that is important for our cardiovascular health and crucial for our cells growth and function. It is also rich in fibers, that are important for our microbiome, acting as pre-biotic, to feed our gut bacteria. Cauliflower also contains Choline, an essential nutrient that improves focus, memory and our brain functions in general. This nutrient is also important to prevent and reverse fatty liver.
- Hazelnuts: hazelnuts, like all nuts are rich in good fats, fibers, minerals and protein. They are ideal to prevent cardiovascular diseases, and help our microbiome.
- Parmigiano: did you know that parmigiano and aged cheeses are fermented foods? It is rich in probiotic, lean protein and does not contain lactose.
- Garlic: garlic is one of the best prebiotic available. It is also a natural antibiotic and is al antibacterial. Moreover allicin in garlic is also good to reduce blood pressure.
Is it or not the best cauliflower pasta ever?
Tips for the perfect creaminess
To make this pasta creamier :
- you can add some of the cooking water to the hazelnut and cauliflower mix if it is too thick
- you can add more milk or some heavy cream when blending
- blend longer so that the hazelnuts start oozing out their natural fats making the mix smoother
Creamy cauliflower and hazelnut pasta
Ingredients
- 500 gr cauliflower
- 50 gr hazelnut
- 380 gr spaghetti or other pasta
- 150 ml milk
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmigiano
- bacon or pancetta or italian sausage optional
Instructions
- Wash and cut the cauliflower into pieces.
- Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the pasta.
- Cook the cauliflower with the garlic, milk, salt and pepper on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, covered with a lid.
- When the water start to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the package.
- When the cauliflower is tender, remove half of it and put it in a blender with the hazelnut and the parmigiano. If you like a garlicky taste, you can blend the garlic along with the nuts and cauliflower. Otherwise discard the whole clove.
- Blend until smooth, and add some more milk if the mix is too thick.
- At this point, you can add to the pan pancetta, bacon or sausage cut into small pieces, cook for 5 minutes.
- Put the cream back into the pan with the rest of the cauliflower. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water.
- When the pasta is cooked, set aside a cup of the boiling water and then drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the cauliflower sauce and stir gently on low heat.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmigiano and black pepper.
