This vegetarian creamy roasted caulifower ragitoni pasta recipe will have your fussiest eaters go for seconds! When roasting the cauliflower, it adds a crispy texture and a nutty flavour to this pasta recipe. Topped with fresh basil and parsley, lastly the buttery toasted breadcrumbs is a perfect end to this meatless delicious dish.
When you have a cauliflower head in your refrigerator that keeps staring at you, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I have been craving pasta lately and this dish I have made before but never posted it. It is absolutely delicious vegetarian meal!
This recipe has three components, but don’t let that scare you. It is so easy, so straight forward that you will be pleasantly surprised to see how easy and quickly it comes together. The rich roasted cauliflower sauce is so delicious and it only takes 20 minutes for your cauliflower to roast. Then you have the garlic buttery breadcrumbs to that added flavour and crunch! Fresh herbs gives this dish a burst of freshness, fragrant and yummy flavour! You will love it!
WHAT MAKES THIS CREAMY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PASTA SO DELICIOUS
CAULIFLOWER: roasting the cauliflower takes this dish to the next level! Once it is roasted it caramelizes and with that, you get a hint of sweetness, along with a nutty flavour. I used half of the roasted cauliflower for the sauce and added the remaining for serving.
GARLIC: lots of garlic, I used 4 cloves and love the pungent flavour of garlic. The best part is the longer the sauce sits the more flavourful it becomes
HERBS: I love fresh herbs in my dishes and in this recipe the parsley and fresh basil really make it special with a fresh pungent flavour!
TOASTED BREADCRUMBS: the rich buttery garlic flavour with the added crunchy texture is a perfect end to this delicious dish! I would suggest to make this ahead.
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS PASTA
ROASTING THE CAULIFLOWER: Preheat oven to 425℉ (218℃) and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cauliflower to baking sheet, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway, until cauliflower is golden and starting to get crispy. Remove and set aside.
COOKING THE PASTA: Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni, lower heat to a low boil and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserved 3 cups of pasta water and set aside.
TOASTING THE BREADCRUMBS: Meanwhile, melt butter in the skillet or fry pan over low to medium heat, add breadcrumbs, stirring often. After 2 minutes, season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. If breadcrumbs are browning too quickly reduce the heat. After 4-5 minutes and golden, remove from heat. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Using a blender, add half of the roasted cauliflower, 2 cups of the reserved pasta water and milk. Blend until smooth and if it’s too thick, add 1/4 cup at a time of the pasta water until you reach a creamy texture.
Using the same skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil and shallots. Cook for 2 minutes, add garlic and saute for another minute. Pour the cauliflower sauce into the skillet, add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
READY TO SERVE: Add the pasta to the skillet, toss well to combine. Add some parsley and Parmesan if desired. Transfer into serving plates, top with more parsley, fresh basil, toasted breadcrumbs and more Parmesan if you like. Serving immediately.
TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS RECIPE
When roasting the cauliflower, I would recommend to avoid over roasting it. When you over roast cauliflower or broccoli then tend to taste burnt, giving it a strong flavour it will be mushy. You want to avoid that since half of the cauliflower will be served on the plates.
When toasting the breadcrumbs, I have made the mistake of walking away and when I went to stir the breadcrumbs, they were burnt. Keep the temperature at a medium to low and stir often.
Garnish with chopped parsley and fresh basil. Top with toasted garlic breadcrumbs. Serve while it’s hot and creamy. From experience, the longer creamy pasta sits, the more it tends to become sticky and less creamy in texture.
STORING
This delicious pasta will store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed container with a lid or what I like to do is place it in a freezer zip-lock bag.
IF YOU MADE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE…..I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS! PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE. 🙂
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Ragatoni
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 large skillet or frying pan
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra vigin olive oil
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2½ cups reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk (almond or oat)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt and pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- Optional: freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ (218℃) and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cauliflower to baking sheet, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway, until cauliflower is golden and starting to get crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni, lower heat to a low boil and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserved 3 cups of pasta water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in the skillet or fry pan over low to medium heat, add breadcrumbs, stirring often. After 2 minutes, season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. If breadcrumbs are browning too quickly reduce the heat. After 4-5 minutes and golden, remove from heat. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Using a blender, add half of the roasted cauliflower, 2 cups of the reserved pasta water and milk. Blend until smooth and if it's too thick, add 1/4 cup at a time of the pasta water until you reach a creamy texture.
- Using the same skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil and shallots. Cook for 2 minutes, add garlic and saute for another minute. Pour the cauliflower sauce into the skillet, add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the pasta to the skillet, toss well to combine. Add some parsley and Parmesan if desired. Transfer into serving plates, top with more parsley, fresh basil, toasted breadcrumbs and more Parmesan if you like. Serving immediately.
