Romanesco helps light, bright pasta dish shine
Brassica season in Houston continues with beautiful heads of romanesco, a cousin of broccoli. With a fractal shape, this stunningly beautiful vegetable is packed with vitamins and fiber. Romanesco can be eaten raw, ceviche style, marinated with copious amounts of lemon juice and salt. Roasted and then drizzled with olive oil and lemon is another option. Or roast and puree into a creamy, colorful soup. If chopping and braising it with pasta and rice, it cooks quickly and evenly. The key is to cook it just enough to soften while maintaining its bright chlorophyll green color. All the vegetables in this pasta are just barely cooked, to help maintain their crispness and nutrients. If you buy romanesco at the farmers market, don’t discard the green leaves — they can be used as the base for the sauce. The addition of aromatic ginger offsets the sulfurous aroma that arises when almost any brassica is cooked.
ROMANESCO PASTA
• 1 pound of fresh pasta, preferably radiatore
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 stalks of green onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 small head or half of a large head of romanesco
• 2 cups of romanesco jacket greens (see note)
• 1 serrano pepper, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated unpeeled ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can of coconut milk
• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 cups tightly packed spinach leaves
• 1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon Instructions: Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes then drain. Cut the romanesco head into small 1-inch florets and mince the greens. Thinly slice the green onions. In a large shallow brazier or saucepan, over high heat, warm the olive oil and add the minced green onions and garlic. Fry for a minute or two then add the romanesco and the greens.
Cook on high heat for just 2 to 3 minutes, frequently stirring to get a slight char on the little florets. Add the serrano pepper, ginger, salt and coconut milk. Bring the entire mixture to a boil and simmer for just a minute or two.
Add the cooked drained pasta and bring the sauce to a boil, immediately turn the heat off. Do not cover or the color will change. Let the pasta rest for 5 to 7 minutes, this will help absorb the sauce. Finally fold in the cabbage and spinach leaves. Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil, topped with grated cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes & variations
• This recipe can be adapted to use broccoli or cauliflower instead. If the head does not come with its jacket greens, just add 2 more cups of spinach or other green leaves.
• To keep the pasta totally plant based, use coconut milk only and omit the cheese or replace it with tahini or cashew butter.
• The serrano pepper adds a slight bite to balance the creaminess of the pasta dish.
Serves 4 to 6