Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic and lemon Zest- a healthy vegan dinner that can be made in 30 minutes flat. If going grain-free, try chickpea flour noodles for extra protein! This recipe uses a whole head of cauliflower and is zesty and bright-tasting, and the leftovers make a nice lunch.
“Following the invisible, into the unknown.” Marci
Here’s a tasty little number that can be made in under 30 minutes – Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic and Lemon zest. The lemon and garlic give it a nice zesty flavor, the parsley a delicious freshness and the toasted walnuts, great texture and earthiness. If you like heat, chili flakes are always a great option. It can be left vegan or dusted with pecorino.
Suddenly, life has become simple. We finished our last catering event over the weekend, and just like that 10 years of catering comes to an end.
I would be lying if I didn’t tell you how ecstatic I am. Not because I dislike catering – I actually really loved the food creation part of it, the menu design, the cooking and prepping and the coming together of people to celebrate life events – all of this was very fulfilling and I feel truly honored to have been a part of so many celebrations.
But the stress of the events themselves (because I like things perfect), and the millions of details that needed tending to, began taking a toll on us physically and energetically. And so we (Brian) figured out a way to pare down our lives, so we wouldn’t have to keep doing this until we die.
And all of a sudden here we are- and I find myself with a luxurious amount of time. And a horizon in front of us that feels so open and wide and beautifully unknown. And it’s the unknown part that actually feels exhilarating. For the first time ever, I have not planned out my life. And it feels amaaaaaaaazing!
If you were wondering about the quote, it’s from a person I don’t know, Marci, who has this as her tagline on Insight Timer. Insight timer is a meditation app, full of great resources to help one meditate if so inclined. It also connects you with other people near you and around the world who are meditating at the same time as you. Kinda neat.
Marci, I don’t know anything about you, only that you live near me in Spokane, and that sometimes we meditate at the same time. Your tagline pops up and it has been such a gift to me. So thank you Marci, for sharing your beautiful light into this world and I hope somehow this finds you.
This Roasted Cauliflower pasta is so easy….and made with a whole head of cauliflower.
Remember, you can always choose pasta made with bean flour if going grain-free. 😉
Toasted almonds and parsley add flavor and texture.
For more fall pasta dishes, try these too!
Garlicky Chard Pasta with Lemon and toasted bread crumbs
Pasta with Mushrooms and creamy vegan sauce.
Hope you enjoy this simple delicious Roasted Cauliflower Pasta!
happy week friends!
xo
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Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 2-3
- Category: vegan main
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Description
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
-
3 minced garlic cloves (divided)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoons chili flakes
- lemon zest from one lemon (divided)
- 4 ounces pasta ( bucatini, linguini, spaghetti or any other gluten-free noodle)
- 1 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1 fresh garlic clove- very finely minced
- A generous drizzle of olive oil to coat,
- salt, pepper and chili flakes -to taste
- finely grated pecorino– optional but good
- 2 tablespoons capers– optional, but good!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Trim and cut cauliflower into small bite-sized florets and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/2 of the lemon zest, 2/3 rds of the minced garlic and some chili flakes. Toss well and spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and place into the middle of the hot oven. Roast until tender and golden and caramelized in places, about 20-25 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and place in a bowl. Drizzle pasta generously with olive oil to coat the noodles, then add the remaining finely minced garlic (raw), the chopped parsley, remaining lemon zest, crushed toasted walnuts, capers and when cauliflower is done, add it to the bowl and toss. Sprinkle with pecorino and chili flakes.
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper and add more if necessary. If it tastes bland, it probably needs a little more salt. 😉
- Divide among 2-3 bowls.
Notes
Leftovers are great for lunch!
Keywords: Cauliflower pasta, vegan pasta recipes, pasta with roasted cauliflower,
Love this recipe! In fact, I’m making it again this evening.
I prefer pecans to walnuts and it’s still delicious!
★★★★★
The whole family loved this. Have decided to get more serious about eating a more plant based diet and hit lucky finding this recipe to get started. The toasted walnuts, garlic, chilli and lemon zest gave this a wonderful and surprising depth of flavour. However, after reading a previous comment I did increase the pasta amount to feed a 6′ 5″ hungry man!
★★★★★
it was good although definitely add more seasoning. For me it was bland but if you adjust the seasonings this is a great meal!
★★★★
This has become one of our favorite recipes, and it is now in our weekly rotation. It is so easy to prepare on a weeknight and so healthy and flavorful. Thank you Sylvia!
★★★★★
I simply loved this recipe. The toasted almonds, lemon zest, garlic – each ingredient added it’s own charm. It tastes amazing!!
★★★★★
I made this and it tasted amazing!! The lemon zest and garlic and roasted walnuts – each ingredient added it’s own charm.
★★★★★
Excellent recipe! It tasted so good, particularly the lemon zest. The best part of this recipe was that it was easy to make.
Bookmarking this recipe for I’ll be making it again and again!
★★★★★
Just made this for dinner. It was excellent, and I recommend the capers at the end, however, the portions are not so great.
There is no way this alone can be dinner for 2 or even more people. It seemed short of a meal to me so I made 6 ounces of pasta instead. I am still hungry and making a 4th meal right now. My wife and I split this evenly and we both weigh about a buck 40. We aren’t giant competition eaters. Other people mentioned leftovers.
How in the h&ll do you have leftovers from this?
★★★★
Most of the pasta dishes on the blog are light on the pasta and heavy on the vegetable. I like to switch the porportions. This one calls for a whole head of cauliflower. Not sure if you used that much?
Me and my family loved this recipe. We are big pasta lovers and this is the perfect dish. Super easy to make! This is above 5 stars. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! 🙂
★★★★★