Cauliflower Pasta Sauce

This recipe for Cauliflower Pasta Sauce is a simple, healthy dish that’s packed full of flavor.  Serve it up with  plenty of grated Parmesan cheese for a fabulous, quick and easy dinner.

I first posted this recipe about a year ago, but the photos were in need of a major makeover so after I made it for dinner the other night,

I thought I’d snap some new ones that might give this recipe the respect it deserves.  It’s really hard to make a colorless dish look appetizing, but let me tell you – this is one of my favorite meals.

I am known for this dish.  I have plenty of friends that absolutely love it and some of them don’t even like cauliflower! My Italian Grandmother made this for me all the time when I was growing up.  I absolutely adored it. For me it’s comfort food and it’s super quick and easy!

This dish can be made as a thick pasta sauce or as more of a soup (my friends call it cauliflower soup).  I always use small pasta.

My grandmother always used shells as they end up filled with the sauce. I can’t always get them so I use what ever small pasta I can find.

You can use fresh cauliflower if you’d like (I’ve tried both), but because it’s one of those pantry dishes (a dish you can make any time by always keeping the ingredients on hand in the freezer & pantry), I have always frozen.

Before the days of growing my own basil, I used to use dried basil as well so if it’s all you have, it works just fine. Don’t cheat with the garlic though.  Plenty of fresh garlic is the key to this recipe.  Also, make sure you add plenty of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.  It really makes the dish.

This dish can easily be vegetarian by using vegetable stock.

It’s super easy to make.  Here’s all it takes:

Brown the garlic in a large stock pot.Add the stock, basil and cauliflower.  Season with salt and pepper.Simmer until the cauliflower is soft enough to mash.  Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower into the stock to form the sauce.Add the pasta and serve with plenty of graded cheese.

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Cauliflower Pasta Sauce

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Servings: 4

Author: Erren

Ingredients

• 1 large Bag frozen cauliflower
• 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb Small pasta
• Plenty of Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

1. Brown the garlic in a large saucepan with the olive oil or fry. As soon as it starts to brown, add about a cup of the chicken stock so the garlic it burn.
2. Add cauliflower, basil, salt & pepper and then add just enough stock to cover the cauliflower. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft enough to mash with a potato masher.
3. If it seems too thick add a bit more stock little by little until it’s the desired consistency.
4. Serve over pasta topped with grated Parmesan or pecorino romano.

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Pasta Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 0

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.