Roast cauliflower bolognese

March 2, 2023

Pasta with cauli-bol and crispy capers.Katrina Meynink

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4-6

I'm a fan of cauliflower bolognese. A groupie. I'd follow it around on tour and buy the shirt. Yes, the dish has strayed a long way from its origins but the flavour, texture and enjoyment are full and immediate. Everyone it was fed to, including other peoples' children, neighbours and my own intense critics, demolished it.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (about 1kg), roughly chopped into small bite-size pieces
10 eschalots (French shallots)
½ cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tbsp dried thyme
generous pinch chilli flakes (or more to taste)
2 tbsp fish sauce (or coconut aminos to keep this vegetarian)
½ head of garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbsp oregano leaves
4 cups thick tomato passata
½ cup vegetable stock

To serve

375g pasta cooked according to packet instructions
3 tbsp capers
basil leaves
grated parmesan

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (140C conventional).
Step 2
Add the cauliflower and shallots to a large flat roasting tray. (It's important the tray isn't overcrowded – it can be a tight fit but you don't want pieces on top of each other. You may need to use two trays.) Drizzle over ¼ cup of the olive oil, then scatter over the dried herbs and chilli. Using your hands, gently toss to coat, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the fish sauce. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower looks crisp and the shallots have softened. Remove from the oven.
Step 3
Place a deep frying pan over low heat. Add ¼ cup olive oil, the garlic and the oregano leaves, and cook until fragrant, stirring often to prevent catching. Add the cauliflower mixture to the frying pan, scraping in all the bits from the tray. Pour over the passata and vegetable stock, and simmer gently for as long as you have time for (minimum 15-20 minutes). The longer you simmer this, the more intense the flavour but time isn't always on our side so fit in what you can. As it cooks, use your spoon to break any larger bits of cauliflower in the sauce.
Step 4
When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. While it's cooking, place a small frying pan over high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, once hot, add the capers, being careful as they tend to hiss and spit, and cook until crisp and they almost look like they have flowered as the outside petals fan out. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls. Top with the cauliflower bolognese, season with salt and pepper and add a smattering of fried capers and some grated parmesan and basil leaves. Serve piping hot.