Lemon Cream Pasta With Cauliflower

Lemon Cream Pasta With Cauliflower

We first had a version of this at a Seattle restaurant named Tallulah’s, and the kids couldn’t get enough of it. When they went out of business, I set about to recreate it at home, and it has remained a most-requested favorite.

Which gets no complaints from me! It is easy to make and I love it too. The cauliflower gets blanched until fork tender, then browned in butter until the edges turn golden and nutty. Cream and a good squeeze of lemon turn it into a silky sauce, and the cauliflower practically melts into the noodles. Then a shower of buttery, chili-spiked breadcrumbs goes on top for crunch.

A few notes:

Blanch in the pasta water. Cook the cauliflower in the same pot you’ll use for the pasta, scoop it out with a spider or slotted spoon, and then boil the pasta right in that water. One pot, and the water picks up a little cauliflower flavor along the way.

Use plenty of lemon zest. The zest is where the perfume is; the juice is just there for the tang. Cream can take more acid than you’d think, but you want the sauce to taste bright and lively rather than sharp, so I use the juice of just one lemon and pass wedges at the table for anyone who wants more.

Add the cheese off the heat. Take the pan off the burner and agressively stir in the Parmigiano a little at a time. Cheese added to a ripping hot pan tends to clump and turn stringy; this way it melts smoothly into the cream. Then put the pan back on low heat and stir until the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta.

Choose a pasta with lots of nooks. I like cavatappi, which is a corkscrew-shaped tube that holds sauce both inside and out, but shells, rigatoni, or fusilli will all do the job.

Don’t skip the breadcrumbs. The dish is lovely without them, but they turn it from a nice, creamy pasta into something with real texture. Go a bit heavier on the chili flakes for the grown-ups, or leave them out entirely if your crowd is spice-averse.

Lemon Cream Pasta With CauliflowerVegetarianServes 4 to 6

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup panko or coarse fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, plus more to taste
• Kosher salt
• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets
• 1 pound cavatappi (or any short pasta with plenty of nooks)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 lemons: zest both, juice one, and cut the other into wedges for serving
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Toast the breadcrumbs first: melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and stir until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in your largest, deepest skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook until fork tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Lift it out with a spider or slotted spoon straight into the skillet, and keep the water at a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until it is just shy of al dente.
3. While the pasta cooks, let the cauliflower brown in the skillet, stirring only occasionally, until the edges are well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream, the zest of both lemons and the juice of one and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste. It should be bright, not sour.
5. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add it to the skillet and remove from the heat. Stir in two-thirds of the Parmigiano a little at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Return to low heat and continue stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles, adding a splash of the pasta water if it gets too thick.
6. Divide among warm bowls. Top with the breadcrumbs, parsley, a generous grind of black pepper and the remaining cheese. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side.