Cauliflower lovers unite! I’m always looking for ways to dress up my favorite white vegetable. Here’s a quickie, inspired by Southern Italian flavors. A little bacon (or pancetta), some roasted pine nuts, some garlic (of course), oregano, and red pepper flakes, and your cauliflower is ready for a debutante ball. Or a midweek meal. Enjoy.
Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon Recipe
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, cut into batons
- 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Lemon juice to taste
METHOD
1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2 While the water is heating, toast the pine nuts in a dry sauté pan until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them, as pine nuts go from toasted to burnt quickly. Set the pine nuts aside when they are toasted.
3 Add the bacon to the pan and fry gently over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside with the pine nuts. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute on medium-high heat, then add the cauliflower, pine nuts, bacon, oregano and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Do not let the garlic burn.
4 Turn off the heat and add salt and lemon juice to taste.