Serves 4
Just ½ cup of pasta per person may seem stingy, but plentiful vegetables make this dish completely satisfying. You’ll see my love for garlic here—12 cloves may seem like a lot, but it provides just the right amount of zing.
6 ounces (2 cups) dry whole wheat penne or any other short pasta
¼ cup canola oil
2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups), blanched and shocked (see here)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 pepperoncini, thinly sliced into rings
Pinch chile flakes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cups English peas, thawed if frozen
¾ cup Garlic Puree (here)
Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and sear the florets, turning occasionally, until they are golden in places. Add the olive oil along with the sliced garlic, pepperoncini, and chile flakes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the lemon juice, peas, and 1 cup water to the skillet and cook, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the garlic puree and cook until it is warmed through.
Add the pasta to the pan and cook until there is no liquid left in the pan and the sauce clings to the pasta—it will take just a minute. Serve warm.