Sausage & Roasted Cauliflower with Lemony Pasta
Pasta is one of those meal categories that pretty much always sounds good in our house. Is that the same for you? In the summer, hot pasta is tossed with fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic and served up with grilled chicken and piles of freshly grated parmesan for the simplest meal. In the winter, we have to coax a bit more flavor out of the in season veg using high heat and roasting to create layers of flavor that pop once you add a bit of lemon. Don’t be afraid to double the sausage and roasted cauliflower to serve over fresh pasta another day or eat with a fried egg on top for breakfast. You know I’m always in favor of cooked food in the fridge!
Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings
Roasted Sausage & Cauliflower:
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 head of cauliflower (or a bag of frozen ;), cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Lemony Pasta:
1 pound pasta
½ cup freshly grated parmesan
juice and zest from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cut cauliflower with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread it evenly over the tray. Take the bowl of sausage and pinch off little bits of the mixture to plop haphazardly on the tray among the cauliflower. You don’t need to roll them or do anything special. We’re going for rustic here! Pop the tray in the oven for about 20 minutes. Take it out and use a spatula to move it around a bit, give a stir, a flip, whatever feels right. Pop it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. While that finishes cooking we’ll make the pasta. Cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain it, but leave a bit of water clinging to the pasta. That will help you make the sauce. Put the cooked pasta back in the pot and toss it with the grated parmesan, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Leave the heat on low and stir it while the sauce thickens. Serve it with the sausage and cauliflower mixture scattered over top.
