This easy one-pot pasta combines creamy cooked cauliflower and rich butter for the ultimate luxurious texture. Spinach gets thrown in and creates a beautiful green color and boost of iron and calcium. Fresh garlic and red pepper flakes add a spicy kick and lemon zest and juice brightens it all up!
Ingredient Highlight
Cauliflower! Is a great source of vitamin K and vitamin C. Like all of it’s cruciferous family members, cauliflower contains compounds, called glucosinolates, that may help prevent cancer.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs cauliflower (1 small head), chopped about 4 cups
- 3 cups baby spinach or ½ cup frozen
- 1 lb fusilli or other short pasta shape
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic
- Zest from 1 lemon + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
- Black pepper
- Fresh herbs
- Don’t waste the cauliflower stem! Just chop it up into bite-sized pieces.
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with about 4 quarts water, salt generously (about 2 tablespoons), and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes, adding the spinach in the last 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the hot cooking water, then use a slotted spoon or small fine mesh sieve to transfer the cauliflower/spinach to a high-speed blender (it’s fine if some small pieces remain in the liquid).
- Keep the water boiling and add your pasta. Cook according to the package instructions. Before draining, save a bit of pasta water in case you want to thin out the sauce. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the pot.
- In the high-speed blender, add butter, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water (or use tap water if you forgot!). Blend on high until smooth. If it’s not blending, add a splash more of the water.
- Pour the cauliflower sauce over the pasta along with the cheese (if using) and toss to coat.
- Serve pasta topped with more parmesan (if using), black pepper, and fresh herbs.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 ½ lbs cauliflower
- Grate ½ cup parmesan (if using)
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, substitute the butter with olive oil. Skip the cheese and add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt.
- To make gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers in the microwave until warmed through. Stir in a generous squeeze of lemon and top with fresh herbs and black pepper.
- Top with a fried or soft-boiled egg.
leave your comments!