Pasta with cauliflower
in Sicilian:
Pasta chi vrocculi arriminati
Pasta with cauliflower is one of Palermo’s most iconic dishes. The word arriminato, found in the Sicilian name of this pasta, means “mixed.” It refers to the constant stirring required to create the dish’s creamy cauliflower sauce.
The dish’s remarkable combination of sweet and savoury flavours is achieved through carefully selected ingredients. On the sweet side are onions and raisins, while anchovies provide the essential savoury note. Saffron gives the sauce its characteristic golden-yellow colour and a delicate aroma. Pine nuts further enrich the sauce, adding both flavour and texture. Together, these ingredients create a rich and delicious dish.
Like many traditional Sicilian dishes, this delicious first course varies from one province to another. Pasta with cauliflower can be prepared in several ways: with cauliflower or green broccoli, with tomato paste or the addition of a few peeled tomatoes. The version presented here, however, follows the classic recipe from Palermo.
Pasta with cauliflower - eatlovesicily.com
Pasta with cauliflower
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time35 min
- Total Time45 min
- Yield4 plates
- Serving Size4 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta (e.g. fusilli or spaghetti)
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 12 anchovy fillets
- 50 g raisins
- 50 g pine nuts
- 2 onions
- 1 sachet of saffron (threads or powder)
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
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Instructions
To begin, soak the pine nuts and the raisins separately in small bowls of lukewarm water.
Next, separate the cauliflower into florets and rinse them thoroughly in a colander.
Then bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower florets for about 12 minutes. They should remain tender but still firm to the bite, without falling apart. Once cooked, remove the cauliflower from the water. Be sure to reserve the cooking water, as it will be used later to cook the pasta.
Finely chop the onions and sauté them in a large frying pan with olive oil until translucent. Then add the anchovies over medium heat. Once they have broken down, add the drained pine nuts and raisins to the pan and mix everything well.
Let it all simmer for a few minutes over medium heat.
Next, add the cauliflower florets to the pan and sprinkle with a little pepper. It is important not to add any salt at this stage, as the anchovies already provide sufficient saltiness to our pasta with cauliflower. Now mix the cauliflower well with the other ingredients in the pan and continue stirring constantly over medium heat.
Afterwards, dissolve the saffron – whether threads or powder – in hot water. Then add it to the pan and mix well again. Bring everything to a simmer over high heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally and gently breaking up the cauliflower with a wooden spoon. After the five minutes have passed, turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
Next, cook the pasta al dente in the reserved cauliflower cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan and toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown. Then set the pan aside as well.
Finally, add the drained pasta to the pan with the cauliflower and mix everything well once more. Serve on plates and finish by sprinkling with the toasted breadcrumbs. Buon appetito!
Tip: Our Sicilian white wine Mesamì is an excellent accompaniment to pasta with cauliflower. Feel free to take a look at our online shop.
