Here is a skillet dinner that is super simple, super delicious and ready in 15 minutes!
Start by gently tossing Ditalini pasta (small tubes) with cauliflower that has been chopped and sautéed in olive oil, garlic and hot red pepper flakes. Topping it off with grated Parmesan cheese makes this dish sublime.
First, rinse the cauliflower, cut down the center, remove its center and discard. Chop the florets into small pieces, about 1-inch. If you don't have time to chop cauliflower? You can find it already chopped for you in packages at the supermarket, saving you some time.
All you need is a large deep skillet in which to sauté some garlic in olive oil. Next, add in the chopped cauliflower, hot pepper flakes, and season with some salt and pepper. Sauté until the cauliflower turns golden brown. In the meantime, cook the pasta until its done and add it to the skillet.
Continue to sautéing the pasta for about one minute, until all the flavors are infused into the pasta and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Since pasta is a crowd pleaser dish, it is usually a staple dish in our home. It actually takes less time to make this than other pasta dishes with a tomato sauce, and of course you get all the wonderful health benefits of cauliflower.
This time I chose to use Ditalini pasta which are little bite-size tubes. I thought it would be more fun to eat with bite-size cauliflower and with a spoon instead of a fork. So yummy! The Parmesan cheese on top adds a lot of flavor to this dish. My girls really loved it! I hope you will too!
Enjoy!Ditalini Pasta with Sautéed Cauliflower, Olive Oil, Garlic and Chili Flakes
- 5 small garlic cloves
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil- divided
- 1 small or medium Cauliflower, cord and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp. dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 pound of Ditalini pasta (small tubes)
- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Fill a medium-size pot with water and place it on stove top over high heat.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until it is al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of boiling water.
Meantime, in a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté garlic for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until garlic turns golden.
Add hot pepper flakes and cauliflower. Sauté' for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cauliflower.
Add 1/4 cup of boiling water to the cauliflower. When pasta is ready, drain, then transfer pasta to the skillet with the cauliflower. Stir the pasta and cauliflower together for about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Transfer to pasta bowls and serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Serves 3 to 4
