Looking for a pasta dish that’s bold, comforting, and packed with flavor? This Sicilian-style cauliflower pasta is a true game-changer! Rooted in authentic Italian tradition, this dish makes the most of the entire cauliflower, florets, leaves, and even the trunk, creating a brothy, rich, and deeply satisfying meal.
With sweet, slow-cooked tomatoes, fragrant garlic, fresh basil, and perfectly broken spaghetti, every bite bursts with the taste of Sicily. The secret? A touch of white wine vinegar to keep the cauliflower tender-crisp and a starchy broth that brings everything together beautifully.
This recipe isn’t just about flavor, it’s about creativity in the kitchen. By using every part of the cauliflower, you’re not only making a nutritious and delicious dish, but also reducing waste in the most delicious way possible. Perfect for vegetarians, food lovers, and anyone craving an authentic taste of Italy!
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SICILIAN CAULIFLOWER PASTA – TORTELLINO’S RECIPE
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (florets, leaves & trunk)
200g spaghetti (broken into 2-3 cm pieces)
400g plum tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 handful fresh basil
1 tsp salt
Cooking Instructions
Prepare the tomatoes – Slice garlic into thin pieces and halve the tomatoes. If using larger tomatoes, quarter them.
Make the sauce – Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds, then add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir well, cover, and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
Prep the cauliflower – Break florets apart using your hands where possible. Keep the tender leaves and chop the trunk into thin slices.
Boil the cauliflower – In a pot, add cold water, all the cauliflower, and a splash of white wine vinegar (this keeps it bright and fresh). Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a gentle boil.
Break the spaghetti – Chop spaghetti into 2-3 cm pieces. Once the cauliflower has boiled for 7 minutes, add the pasta to the same pot. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
Adjust the broth – If needed, remove excess water with a ladle, keeping some to make a rich, brothy consistency.
Combine with the sauce – Stir in the tomato sauce and let everything blend together beautifully.
Final touches – Drizzle with olive oil, top with fresh basil, and optionally, a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of pecorino/parmesan.
Serve & enjoy!
Key Chapters
00:00 – Introduction to Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta
00:21 – Ingredients & Preparation
00:42 – Making the Tomato Sauce
01:18 – Preparing the Cauliflower
03:13 – Cooking the Pasta & Broth
04:05 – Bringing It All Together
04:30 – Final Touches & Serving
#CauliflowerPasta #SicilianRecipes #ItalianFood #VegetarianPasta #HealthyEating #AuthenticItalian #Foodie #PastaLover #tortellinotime #tortellino
9 Comments
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EoSqpgeFGTtUKrbWnjIxuWIG94aNVTj5/view?usp=sharing
If you love authentic Italian flavors, this Sicilian cauliflower pasta is a must-try! It’s brothy, comforting, and packed with Mediterranean goodness. We’re using every part of the cauliflower, florets, leaves, and trunk, to create a dish that’s not only delicious but also sustainable and nutritious. Perfect for vegetarians, this recipe blends slow-cooked tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and perfectly cooked pasta into a dish that’s bursting with flavor. The secret touch? A little white wine vinegar to keep the cauliflower bright and tender, and a starchy broth that brings everything together beautifully. Try this traditional Sicilian pasta and please let me know what you think.
Another wonderful authentic Sicilian recipe. I like how you use the leaves, tender smaller stalks, and the pared down stalk of the cauliflower. You create with fresh H2O and the vegetables,your own broth. I am going to try your recipe using water and using low sodium vegetable broth and see which version I like better. Most of the time I have leftovers for such soup with pasta recipes, so I cook the pasta separately . I didn’t realize until your videos that an adult like yourself moving to England can develop a distinct mixed accent to my Midwestern- Bronx ear?
So simple but, it sounds so good!
Delicious! The only thing I'll add is some peperoncino. I think you'll approve. 😉
I learned using the leafy parts of cauliflower or broccoli from you, thanks. But GASP! breaking spaghetti – sacrilege. Well, okay in this case I guess so. I like using orecchiette for soup. Also you noted at the end not adding parmigiano or percorino or such as you want to taste the flavors. As you might recall, I love Calabrian peppers, nduja, lots of black pepper and such, but yes, it is good to sometimes go back to the subtler or more delicate flavors and just enjoy!
This is really worth a try. I will admit I was dubious initially about the cauliflower but it was delicious. 😍😍😍
I watched this and wanted to share it with you. Perhaps it is a channel you and your followers would also enjoy. It's called Pasta Grannies. It's about cooking and Italy and Sicily., so I thought about it and felt sharing it on this channel was best.
https://youtu.be/td149xSt224?si=3pjeAfiQCHVRLIiW
I like how you use more of the food you are cooking than the average American. Like here using the leaves and the core of the base of the cauliflower. I noticed that you have started pealing your garlic all the time now, but in the past there was times you didn't. When do you choose to do one or the other?
Also I have realized that one of the reasons it takes me so long to try recipes is when I make a recipe, it typically lasts me for days. I'm okay with that because it cuts back on the dishes I dirty and my meal prep time. But it does take more time to decide to give new things a try.
There are signs that winter is fighting a losing battle, the very cold has been broken up with a sprinkling of warmer days. Some of the snow has melted and looking ahead there are more days above freezing coming up. YES!!! 😀
Made this for dinner . Winner, winner, cauliflower pasta dinner. Yummy. Grazie