Cooking for One...Or Two: Lemon Spaghetti/Campanelle w/Roasted Cauliflower 🌞

Lemon Spaghetti

80g (about 3oz) spaghetti
Zest and juice of 1 large unwaxed lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
5-6 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pan of water to a rapid boil and add a good amount of salt to the
water. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain

Whisk the lemon juice and the zest with the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan.
Season with salt and pepper and taste to adjust — if it needs more lemon
juice, olive oil or cheese, then add some.

When the pasta is ready, pour over the lemon sauce
and fold in the basil leaves

Serve immediately with more Parmesan.

From "Cooking for One"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12835825-cooking-for-one


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Campanelle Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Garlic, and Walnuts


SERVES 2

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For a warming winter pasta dinner, we
wanted to unite a roasted vegetable,
pasta, and cheese with a simple sauce.
Focusing first on the vegetable, we
selected cauliflower, which becomes
sweet and nutty when roasted. Cutting it
into small pieces and sprinkling it with a
little sugar maximized caramelization,
and cooking it on a preheated baking
sheet significantly reduced the roasting
time.

Roasted garlic turned out to be a
key ingredient in our sauce—mashed
with a little extra-virgin olive oil and
lemon juice, it created a creamy puree
with an earthy, nutty sweetness. Parsley,
toasted walnuts, and Parmesan provided
additional texture and layers of flavor.

Other pasta shapes can be substituted for
the campanelle; however, their cup
measurements may vary. For efficiency’s
sake, consider preparing the cauliflower
after you put the garlic in the oven.

1 head garlic, outer papery skins removed and top quarter of
head cut off and discarded
½ teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and
cut into 1-inch florets
Salt and pepper
⅛ teaspoon sugar
6 ounces (2 cups) campanelle pasta
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus
extra for serving
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts

1. Adjust oven racks to middle and
lower-middle positions and heat oven to
500 degrees. Place garlic head cut side
up in center of 12-inch square of
aluminum foil. Drizzle ½ teaspoon oil
over garlic and wrap securely. Place
packet on lower rack and place rimmed
baking sheet on upper rack. Roast garlic
for 35 minutes. Transfer packet to cutting
board, let cool for 10 minutes, then
unwrap garlic. Gently squeeze to remove
cloves from skin, transfer cloves to
small bowl, and mash smooth with fork.
Stir in lemon juice and pepper flakes,
then slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons oil.

2. While garlic roasts, toss cauliflower,
remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon
salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and sugar
together in large bowl. Working quickly,
carefully arrange cauliflower in single
layer on hot sheet. Roast cauliflower
until well browned and tender, 10 to 15
minutes, stirring cauliflower halfway
through cooking. Transfer cauliflower to
cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop
into ½-inch pieces.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to
boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1
tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often,
until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking
water, then drain pasta and return it to
pot. Add garlic sauce, chopped
cauliflower, 2 tablespoons of reserved
cooking water, Parmesan, and parsley
and toss to combine. Season with salt,
pepper, and extra lemon juice to taste,
and adjust consistency with remaining
reserved cooking water as needed.
Sprinkle individual portions with
walnuts. Serve with extra Parmesan.

From "The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18797099-the-complete-cooking-for-two-cookbook



Pasta is comfort food. Be it simple or complex, it's still delicious!!