Romanesco is that beautiful green, fractal-looking vegetable shaped something like a cauliflower but building to a pointed dome. We see it off and on at our farmers’ market and in supermarkets. It even comes in both green and orange varieties.
The beauty of this dish is all the different green colors. It is also nice, for a change, to have a steamed vegetable. Of course, this recipe would work with ordinary cauliflower (white, green, or orange), but romanesco is the most beautiful and has a mild flavor that’s a good foil for the salsa.
Serves 4 to 6
Time: 30 minutes
1 cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
½ cup chopped pitted green olives
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon capers
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small heads romanesco cauliflower
Shaved Manchego, Parmesan, or Pecorino Romano cheese
Make the salsa: Stir together all the ingredients for the salsa. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Cut the cauliflower apart into bite-size florets and stem pieces (which also have lots of flavor). Steam the cauliflower until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.
Place in a serving dish, top with the green salsa, and sprinkle with shaved cheese.
• For the salsa, try substituting fresh basil for the tarragon.
• Add hot sauce if you’d like a little more heat.
Romanesco with Green Salsa is a lovely side dish for Fregola with Peas, Pizza Rosso e Verde, or Pasta Carbonara with Zucchini.