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my dad's pasta and cauliflower

megohm avatar
Recipe by
Meg Marcella
@megohm
Norfolk County, ON

This is my dad's recipe, and it was passed down to him from his father, my grandpa Mario. I'm not sure how far back it extends, but I imagine his parents cooked it, as well. It's so simple and satisfying, as well as budget-friendly - my grandpa Mario was the eldest of 11 children! This is one of my favourite comfort foods.

yield 4 BIG servings
prep time 10 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For my dad's pasta and cauliflower

  • 1
    large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 450 g
    macaroni or shell pasta (or roughly equal parts to cauliflower)
  • 3-4 Tbsp
    vegetable or canola oil
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp
    salt (to taste)
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp
    black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 or 3 clove
    garlic, minced (can sautee the oil to mellow the flavour if you like)
  • 1/4 c
    parmesan or romano cheese (you can use as much as you like, really)

How To Make my dad's pasta and cauliflower

  • 1
    Boil cauliflower in salted water until tender, but not mushy. Meanwhile, cook pasta separately until al dente. (If you can get the timing right, it's easier to put it in one pot and add the cauliflower a few minutes after the pasta.)
  • 2
    Mix pasta and cauliflower together after draining, and add all remaining ingredients, mixing well, seasoning to taste.
  • 3
    If you like, you can mash up some of the cauliflower and mix in a little reserved cooking water to make a bit of a sauce! My family likes this dish with lots of cheese and lots of black pepper, especially.
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