It’s pasta Bolognese…just minus the meat and plus a whole lot of delicious seasoned-up roasted cauliflower. Not traditional, but SO GOOD. My brothers are 100% rolling their eyes at this pasta. They love a Bolognese sauce, but a Bolognese sauce minus the meat. Man, the look on their faces. So much disappointment… They don’t know what they’re missing out on. Every last twirl of this vegetarian pasta Bolognese is delicious. My secret is to roast the cauliflower. Oven roasting the cauliflower gives it so much flavor, plus that perfect crisp, yet tender texture. It’s so delicious.
Here’s the story.
Honestly, this one came to be in an interesting way. I set out to make a white sauce pasta and by the end of the day, I had this. My hang up on the white sauce pasta was simple. With Valentines Day on Sunday I was getting hung up on the fact that white pasta just didn’t feel right for v-day. Sure it still would have been delicious, but something red felt like the better route. So, I went back and forth on ideas. I started to make another pasta and then about five minutes in, I changed course again and started in on this. The idea kind of just flew into my head. I wanted to make a hearty Bolognese sauce, but I had zero meat on hand. I also really, really wanted to use up the heads of cauliflower I had in my fridge. So, I put the two ambitions together and came up with this. A perfect, hearty vegetarian cauliflower pasta Bolognese. I don’t understand how my brain works, but I’m pretty excited it thought this one up.
Now, onto the process.
Start with the cauliflower…which is the heart of this recipe. I wanted the cauliflower to have just the right texture. Often times when cauliflower is stirred into a sauce I find that it tends to be soggy and flavorless. So I really wanted to avoid that. The key? Oven roasting the cauliflower with lots of garlic and spices. By the time it comes out of the oven, it’s extra crispy with just the right amount of char and so much flavor. It holds up perfectly in this sauce creating a “meaty” texture and even better flavor. My secret ingredient? A splash of fish sauce, which is optional, but it adds an umami, meaty flavor. While the cauliflower is roasting, start in on the tomato sauce. You want to slowly caramelize the garlic in olive oil to really infuse flavor into a recipe, especially within an Italian-style red sauce. Once the garlic is extra fragrant and turns golden, I like to stir in the tomato paste and chili flakes. Then cook those for a bit to help intensify the flavors in the sauce. Once that’s cooked for a bit, stir in the basil pesto. Then let the sauce simmer while you boil the pasta. For the pasta, I used a fresh cut tagliatelle pasta. But use any cut of pasta you love or have on hand. You’ll want to first boil off the pasta, then just before draining, reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This step is so important, so be sure to not dump the water before reserving a cup. The pasta water is used to finish the sauce Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce and that pasta water. Add the cauliflower and some butter and toss until the sauce is very creamy. Stir in the parmesan and basil. Immediately the heat from the pasta intensifies the smell of the basil…leaving you with nothing but excitement for dinner and a kitchen that smells amazing.
And trust me, you should be excited. Every bowl of this pasta is rich, creamy, just oh so slightly spicy, with a subtle pesto touch, and just the right amount of butter and cheese. It’s is so very good. Like roll your eyes back, go for that second bowl, and finish the pasta all in one sitting GOOD…yum! Perfect dinner to serve this Sunday for Valentine’s Day…whether you’re celebrating or not. It’s a little different, but so, so good. The cauliflower is a game-changer. The flavor is intense, but the texture and seasoning are spot-on. It adds a saltiness that keeps everyone coming back for another bowl. Just add a little side salad, and maybe even some bread, and you’ll have a perfectly delicious meal.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day dinners? Here are a few to try: Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini Roasted Red Pepper Alla Vodka Pasta with Cheesy Oregano Breadcrumbs Brown Butter Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce Lastly, if you make this Roasted Cauliflower Bolognese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
