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Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic and Lemon Zest- a healthy vegan dinner that can be made in 30 minutes flat. Video.
Looking for more? Check out our 33+ Best Cauliflower Recipes and our 50+ Easy Dinner Ideas!
“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.
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.
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta | Video
How to make Roasted Cauliflower Pasta:
Step 1: Cut the cauliflower into bite-size pieces, season with olive oil, zest, and garlic and roast until tender and crispy.
Step 2: Cook the pasta and reserve some pasta water.
Remember, you can always choose pasta made with bean flour if going grain-free. 😉
Step 3: Toast the walnuts in the oven 10 minutes at 350F – do this after the cauliflower is done. Or toast in a dry skillet.
Toasted Walnuts and fresh parsley add flavor and texture.
Step 4: Toss everything together, adding the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
On the homefront: 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.
You may also like:
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- 33+ Best Cauliflower Recipes
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- Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce
- Garlicky Chard Pasta with Lemon and toasted bread crumbs
- Pasta with Mushrooms and creamy vegan sauce.
- Garlicky Cruciferous Pasta
- Truffle Mac and Cheese
Hope you enjoy this simple delicious Roasted Cauliflower Pasta!
happy week friends!
xo
Print
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: vegan main
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
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)
- 4–6 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 in 2 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt. When done, drain, and reserve 1 cup pasta water, and place pasta 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. If it feels dry, add a little hot pasta water. 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! Walnuts can be toasted in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes on a sheet pan, or toasted in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 386
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 249.3 mg
- Fat: 22.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.5 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Cauliflower pasta, vegan pasta recipes, pasta with roasted cauliflower,
I recently became vegetarian due to the health reason. I came across this recipe.
It was tasty! My 7 years old son enjoyed eating too 😉
I used Parmesan & Pine Nuts instead of pecorino and Walnuts. Left out the capers 😀
Thank you!
★★★★★
Great to hear AK!
I’ve followed you for awhile now and I’m impressed with the extra mile you go to support local industry, give info on history, changes you’ve made to make the menu updated with new knowledge. Take a bow!
Carol Sache
You are nice. Thanks Carol. Appreciate you noticing. We try. 🙂
Made this last night and hubby and I both loved it. Cannot wait to try it again with the listed ingredients. Used lemon infused olive oil and lemon juice. Freeze dried parsley, Parmesan and had no caper. It was still delicious. Thank you!Ann
★★★★★
Perfect Ann!
I have made this many times and it’s always terrific! Simple and satisfying!
★★★★★
Great to hear!
As usual, Sylvia’s nutrient-dense ingredients and flavor are spot on. Feasting at Home is my go-to for dinner for my family of 6 and has been for the past 4+ years (this is my first time commenting!) It can be challenging to feed and sustain the 3 distance runners in my family, but Sylvia’s veggie-loaded recipes haven’t failed me once! This is our new favorite pasta recipe. Thank you, Sylvia for sharing your beautiful blog with us.
★★★★★
Awesome Emily- glad you and your family are enjoying!
I am amazed with every recipe I have prepared from your arsenal. You make cooking very fun. Hats off to you!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Theron- appreciate this!
Delicious! I added a few more walnuts and used Parmesan instead of pecorino. Left out the capers. Used penne. Wonderful! I plan to add an extra clove of garlic to the roasting cauliflower next time.
★★★★★
Perfect Barbara and great to hear!
This is a fantastic recipe. I made it last night and it was delicious. So satisfying and yet very light. If you skip the grated cheese, it’s totally vegan. I did use pecorino so it was a beautiful vegetarian dish. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks so much! And Pecorino is so tasty here!
I’ve made this several times, and it is divine.
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you liked this one Maria!
Good recipe. I would prefer a pasta such as farfalle, rigatoni, ziti. Still a great dish. Thank you Sylvia for sharing your recipes.
Thanks Ame- and yes, feel free to change up the pasta here!
I made this last week and it was delicious! I steamed the cauli rather than roast it – can find roasted veggies a bit heavy. Definitely making again.
Great to hear Una!
Can’t wait to try this…
It’s pretty tasty! Let us know what you think Jo!
This is divine.
★★★★★
Thanks Maria!
Fabulous and quick, especially if you roast the cauliflower and toast the walnuts in advance. I also added arugula at the end and served topped with more lemon zest and toasted walnuts.
★★★★★
Perfect Carrie!
I haven’t made recipe yet but want to know if I can use zucchini noodles instead of pasta
I don’t see why not? give it a try!
Fantastic recipe! The only thing I changed was adding the lemon zest at the end just before serving. The capers were also a delicious addition. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks Melissa!