Roasted Cauliflower, Pancetta and Sage Pasta
Earthy and rich roasted cauliflower florets, pancetta lardons and fresh sage leaves get tossed with pasta and a tangy sauce of skyr and lemon juice. Hot pepper flakes add just enough kick.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower , cut into large bite sized florets
- 1/3 cup pancetta , cut into bite sized lardons
- 15 to 18 medium sized sage leaves , if larger, tear into smaller pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes or more if desired
- 1 lb dried pasta , either spaghetti, fettucini, linguini etc
- 3/4 cup skyr or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a large baking dish, add the cauliflower, the pancetta, the sage and the hot pepper flakes. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat.
Roast for 25 minutes till just turning crisp and golden. If the cauliflower and pancetta are cooked through and you want a bit more colour, feel free to use the broiler set to low. It won't take long. Move the rack to six inches below the element.
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While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the pasta as per the package directions. Use well salted water.
Cook till al dente.
Reserve 1/4 cup of the water and then drain the pasta. Return it to the pot it was cooking in. Keep off the heat though.
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In a small bowl combine the skyr, lemon juice and cracked pepper. Stir well.
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Combine the cauliflower mixture with the pasta and then coat with the 'sauce'.
If you find that the pasta soaks up the sauce too quickly and you want to thin it out or add some more creaminess, add a bit of the pasta water, 1 tbsp at a time till the desired consistency is achieved.
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Add the grated cheese and stir one last time. Add more hot pepper flakes if desired.
Recipe Notes
I like to use skyr or greek yogurt whenever possible. But if you happen to have some sour cream in the fridge that needs using up, feel free to swap it out.