Pasta chi vruocculi arriminati
I recently watched Rick Stein on his long weekend to Palermo, Sicily and looked on enviously as he enthused about this Moorish influenced cauliflower and pasta dish made with raisins and pine nuts. Traditionally they slip in some sardines or anchovies in there so I've swapped them with capers and sun-dried tomatoes to add the seasoning.
Ingredients
serves 4
serves 4
320g bucatini
1kg cauliflower, florets removed from the core and then cut into 3cm pieces
1 onion (about 150g)
50g raisins
50g pine nuts
8 capers, finely chopped
20g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
4 tbsp virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 sachet of saffron
100g breadcrumbs, toasted in olive oil
Method
Soften the raisins and pine nuts by placing them in a small bowl of warm water. Also soak the saffron in another bowl of warm water. Set them all aside.
Slowly fry the chopped onions on a medium low heat for at least 15 minutes until they begin to caramelise.
Meanwhile bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower, broken into small florets. Boil for about ten minutes to begin cooking it.
Once the onion is cooked add the capers and sun-dried tomatoes, and fry for a few minutes before adding the pine nuts and the drained raisins. Cook for a few minutes more.
When the cauliflower is cooked ready remove from the water with a slotted spoon and add it to the onions and season with some pepper. Then add the saffron with its water and a ladle full of the cooking water. Mix well and continue to cook on a low heat. Taste and season to taste.
Bring the cooking water back to a boil and cook the bucatini a minute or two less than recommended to being the pasta to a stage.
In the meantime, in another frying pan bring a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium heat and fry the breadcrumbs to a golden colour and crispy texture. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the very al dente bucatini to the onion and cauliflower, stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pasta has cooked.
Slowly fry the chopped onions on a medium low heat for at least 15 minutes until they begin to caramelise.
Meanwhile bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower, broken into small florets. Boil for about ten minutes to begin cooking it.
Once the onion is cooked add the capers and sun-dried tomatoes, and fry for a few minutes before adding the pine nuts and the drained raisins. Cook for a few minutes more.
When the cauliflower is cooked ready remove from the water with a slotted spoon and add it to the onions and season with some pepper. Then add the saffron with its water and a ladle full of the cooking water. Mix well and continue to cook on a low heat. Taste and season to taste.
Bring the cooking water back to a boil and cook the bucatini a minute or two less than recommended to being the pasta to a stage.
In the meantime, in another frying pan bring a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium heat and fry the breadcrumbs to a golden colour and crispy texture. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the very al dente bucatini to the onion and cauliflower, stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pasta has cooked.
To serve, portion the pasta into each bowl and then sprinkle over with the toasted breadcrumbs and some freshly ground black pepper.
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