David Rocco claims this is the best cauliflower dish ever. Hmm, I’ve heard that before. He goes on to say that lots of people find cauliflower unexciting, yet asserts that when well prepared, particularly this way, it will please any crowd.
Well, I never had problems with cauliflower. In fact I am a big fan of the whole famiglia Brassica. Give me collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower anytime and I will be a happy camper. Here’re a few of my other favorites: shabby chic roasted cauliflower, sautéed shaved Brussels sprouts and cabbage mango salad.
What drew my attention to this dish was the fact that it calls for using grated cheese as well as cheese rind and the dry leftover cheeses that you might have neglected. Who doesn’t have those forgotten little bits of cheese hidden somewhere in the refrigerator? Mine usually get lost in there or if he’s lucky, fed to Clarence, my bulldog. Them’s expensive puppy treats, so it feels good to put these “leftovers” to better use.
Oh, yeah, and after having this dish, I can say right here, if not the best ever, this is in the top three or four cauliflower recipes that I’ve ever eaten.
Do you like cauliflower? What’s your favorite ways of preparing it?
cauliflower cooked in pomodoro
1 large head cauliflower cut into small pieces, including the core
1 medium sized Vidalia onion, cubed
½ cup (or more) of old dry cheese from your refrigerator cut into small cubes. I had smoked gouda, crusty brie, Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, and some tired cheddar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ bunch chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups jarred tomato purée
1 cup water
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Place a large saucepan on stove top, add ½ of the olive oil and onion, bring temperature to medium high and sauté onion until translucent. Avoid burning it. Toss in cauliflower, parsley, salt, pepper, jarred tomato purée (pomodoro) and water. Bring to a boil then reduce temperature to medium low and simmer for 35-45 minutes. Stir every now and then to prevent sticking. In the end cauliflower will be broken apart and sauce will be concentrated. Remove from heat, mix in rest of olive oil, dry cheeses and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Let sit uncovered in a warm area for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
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