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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.Ā
Looking for more? Check out ourĀ 33+ Best Cauliflower Recipes and ourĀ 50+ Easy Dinner Ideas!
“Following the invisible, into the unknown.” Ā Marci
Here’s a tasty little number that can be made in under 30 minutesĀ – Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic and Lemon zest. Ā The lemon and garlic give it a nice zesty flavor, the parsley a delicious freshness and the toasted walnuts, great texture and earthiness. Ā 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 wholeĀ head of cauliflower and is zesty and bright-tasting, and the leftovers make a nice lunch.
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta | Video
How to make Roasted Ā Cauliflower Pasta:
Step 1: Ā 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. š
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 WalnutsĀ and fresh parsley add flavor and texture.
Step 4: Toss everything together, adding the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
On the homefront:Ā 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. Ā 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. Ā 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- Ā 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 peopleĀ 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. Ā So thank you Marci, for sharing your beautiful light into this world and I hope somehow this finds you.
You may also like:Ā
- Roasted Cauliflower Steak
- 33+ Best Cauliflower Recipes
- No-Boil Baked Mushroom Ziti
- Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce
- Garlicky Chard Pasta with Lemon and toasted bread crumbsĀ
- PastaĀ 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
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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. Ā Toss well and spread out in a single layer on a parchment-linedĀ sheet pan, and place into the middle of the hot oven. Roast until tender and golden and caramelized in places, Ā about 20-25 minutes.
- Ā 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.Ā If it tastes bland, it probably needs a little more salt. š
- 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,
This is the best thing ever honestly. I’ve made it so many times now!
★★★★★
Great to hear Emmalie!
OK, so Iāve made this recipe about half a dozen times. But tonight I decided to food process the parsley garlic lemon zest and pecorino cheese with olive oil. And then I mix that with the pasta sauce and some of the reserved water it created this amazing creamy almost pesto like consistency. I loved it and so did my kids! I think Iām always going to make it this way!
★★★★★
oooo love it Emmalie!
Quick and delicious exactly as written, thank you!
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed Joanne!
We made this last night for dinnerā¦wowā¦it was fantastic! Super flavorful. I had some shiitake mushrooms that I had to use so threw them in and roasted with the cauliflower. It was sooo good!! We are big carnivores but trying to eat more plant based meals. This recipe was perfect! Didnāt miss the protein at all!,
★★★★★
Great to hear Gale- love that you added the mushrooms!
Wow – tastiest simple dish Iāve made in a while. Slam dunk!
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
WOW. This was amazing! I didnāt have capers but I did have Kalamata olives and added some of the juice (because I didnāt save the pasta water by mistake). I read the article you posted about the benefits of eating cold (or reheated) pasta and made the pasta in advance, let it cool, and added it with the warm ingredients. This was a perfect recipe because I ate it immediately but my husband wasnāt coming home from a job until late ā still really tasty!
Awesome Amy- glad you enjoyed this and the article. š
Wonderful recipe! It’s a great weeknight dinner, so quick to make and so tasty!! So tasty in fact that the two of us ate all three portions! (oops!) I used pine nuts instead of walnuts since I had some that needed to be used – They worked very well (I mean are pine nuts ever bad?!).
★★★★★
Hahaha- love it Ingrid!
I donāt know what to say except spectacular! All the flavors were spot on. I didnāt use capers because my husband isnāt a fan, and it was still exceptional pasta – nothing like Iāve ever had.
★★★★★
Awesome Deb! Glad you enjoyed this!
I made this tonight and it was a delicious and a huge hit – even my picky husband really liked it! This was super easy and a definite keeper. Thank you! PS – I subbed pecans for walnuts and the capers really made the dish.
★★★★★
Awesome Jessica! š Thanks!
This had such unique flavors. I usually only eat pasta with tomato sauce, but this was dry and so interesting. I didn’t have capers so I used olives instead. I also wasn’t sure about walnuts but I went with it and so glad I did. Next time I’ll add some olive juice and more lemon, but I’ll definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Glad you branched out and tired this Freya!
This dish was great. I was skeptical since only uses a couple of ingredients but the flavors!!! It made me feel I was eating at a great restaurant. The smokiness of the cauliflower, the crunch of the nuts and the freshness of the lemon, a winner, great balance of flavors. Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Thanks Natalia! Glad this worked well for you!
This is a great vegetarian go-to, even my kids ask for it. If you do want to add some meat, I definitely recommend prosciutto…Cannellini beans are great as well for some protein. Such a simple and versatile recipe, thanks so much!
★★★★★
Great to hear Kari! The beans are a great addition!
Where are the crushed tomatoes in the ingredient list?, they are only in the directions
Hi Andrea- no tomatoes in this recipe, only crushed walnuts. š
I didnt have any walnuts but I did add capers. This recipe is amazing, it will definately be a family favourite! Thankyou x
★★★★★
Thanks Sally!
This recipe looked so delicious I made it even though I lacked the parsley and capers. It was terrific and I can’t wait to have it again with all the ingredients listed. Works great with toasted pecans instead of walnuts, too.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Linda!
I made this w/our homegrown cauliflower! I used Angel Hair Pasta (not GF).The flavors melded together w/lemon olive oil.I added spinach instead of parsley. My husband liked it with the capers & fresh Parmesan. I definitely will be making again. Thanks
★★★★
Hooray for homegrown cauliflower! Sounds great Annie!
Please include the amount of each nutrient and not the percentage. I, and many others with the same health condition, must keep track of phosphorus and potassium in our diets. Other blogs that I follow give the grams etc.
Hi Lena, sorry the nutrition plug-in I use, only offers it in this format. I will look and see if I can adjust the settings.
Thank you.
I think I got it adjusted now Lena- let me know if that helps.
Yes, that really helps. Thank you!
I have made two feasting at home recipes in the past two weeks. This one and the baked ziti with mushrooms in a cast iron. My husband and I love the flavors! I think we have met our match with a ādinner ideaā blog/website. Thank you so much for your posts. Looking forward to trying more!
★★★★★
Awesome Amy- Thanks for being here!
Your recipe is for toasted Walnuts – please advise on how to toast them. And, removed where it says toasted almonds give the recipe itās flavor.
Oops, thanks updated the recipe.
Very good. Fast and easy
★★★★★
Delicious. I made this and added some baby spinach leaves at the end, along with sour cream, the juice of the lemon and extra pasta water to make it saucier. The chili and the capers really seal the deal!
★★★★
Really yummy! I made it without walnuts and still tasted great. I also added the juice of the lemon I zested at the very end and a couple cloves of raw garlic to give it a bit of a kick. Will definitely make again w/some capers.
Followed recipe exactly but left out lemon zest & capers as spouse is allergic (added the zest to my helping which definitely enhanced flavor). Overall tasty but sauce is rather dry. Will make again but would love to hear how others enhanced sauce moisture.
The best way is to utilize the pasta water- using more as needed!
This is my favorite pasta past couple months. Just love it!! Easy go to veggie mealš
★★★★★