I totally get that it is that time of the year where a lot of people are trying to eat more nutritious foods. I am here to tell you that you do not have to eat bland salads (I truly love a good salad – do not get me wrong – but please do not make it bland 😅). Food can be utterly delicious, super comforting and also be nutritious at the same time. And exactly that is happening this week with this Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta.
Now, truthfully, this recipe is not suited for anyone who wants to go for an interview the next morning. There is a LOT of garlic in this pasta dish 🤣. You can obviously lower the garlic content… but who wants to do that 😉. Fried and fresh garlic meets roasted cauliflower, pasta, and a delicious creamy – completely dairy- and gluten-free – sauce. Yum!
Having pasta with roasted cauliflower does not only provide you with a great addition in terms of a flavor profile, it also adds some additional texture in comparison to the rather soft pasta. If you have never tried roasting your cauliflower, I encourage you to try it. It is absolutely delicious. I also truly enjoy that you are able to continue doing the dish whilst the veggies are roasting, which means you are quicker done in the kitchen. As we know – that is always a win in my book 🥳.
Why is this Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta good for you?
Garlic
You know I absolutely love garlic! It has such strong healing properties and there is a reason why it has been dubbed nature’s antibiotics. Garlic is part of the allium family and closely related to onions, shallots, and leeks. It is rich in manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium. Whereas all of these are great, the main benefits that garlic offers come from their sulfur compounds, the most common likely to be known as “allicin”. These develop when you crush, chew, or cut fresh garlic and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When consumed, garlic enters your digestive tract and from there continues to travel through your blood stream where needed. Just be mindful that when you cook or fry the garlic, some of the sulfur benefits tend to go away.
Garlic is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and also an antioxidant. Together with its vitamin C content, it has been shown to boost your immune system. Studies indicate that it reduces the numbers of colds you have in general, as well as shorten the time of said cold when taking a garlic supplement. Garlic also has a very positive impact on our blood pressure. Particularly in people with high blood pressure, it can reduce said pressure. Garlic supplements also appear to have a positive effect on your overall cholesterol levels. Garlic may reduces “bad” cholesterol levels, whilst maintaining the “good” ones. As you likely know by now (because I talk about it all the time 😉), both lowered cholesterol and blood pressure levels do wonder for your heart health. The above is just a small insight into the benefits garlic adds! Not too bad for such a small bulb 🧄, am I right?!
How can I adjust this Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta to my dietary requirements?
This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Due to the nuts used, it is not nut-free. If you would like to make this dish paleo, be sure to use paleo-friendly noodles.
Similar Recipes on the Blog
There are so many delicious, nutritious, and absolutely gorgeous pasta recipes on the blog. Be sure to also check out the following:
- Creamy Mushroom and Leek Pasta
- Creamy Beetroot Pasta
- Vegan Mac and Peas Casserole
- Vegan Penne alla Vodka
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara
And there you have it for this week 🤗. I hope you enjoy this delicious, comforting but at the same nutritious recipe! As always, please let me know what you think by either commenting below and/or rating the recipe. I love hearing from you!! This recipe is slightly adjusted and inspired by my Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Happy pasta-making and enjoy 🥰!!
Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
Course: MainsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy2
servings20
minutes30
minutes30
minutesThis Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta is not only super comforting but also hits the spot in terms of nutrition. Simply delicious! Enjoy.
Ingredients
- For the roasted cauliflower
1 head 1 cauliflower
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
- For the pasta
2 tsp 2 olive oil
1 1 white onion
2 cloves 2 garlic
200 gr. 200 brown rice pasta (or other gluten-free pasta)
- For the sauce
1/2 cup 1/2 (70 gr.) cashews
1/2 cup 1/2 (125 ml) non-dairy milk
1/4 cup 1/4 (15 gr.) nutritional yeast
2 cloves 2 garlic
1 1 lemon, juice and zest
1/2 tsp 1/2 salt
- For garnish
Chili flakes
Chopped parsley
Pepper to taste
How to
- For the roasted cauliflower
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit) on a fan setting. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash with water. Add to an oven-proof baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Be sure to give everything a good stir (I used my hands) before adding to the oven. Leave for 30 minutes until the cauliflower is fully roasted and tender when seared with a knife
- For the pasta
- Meanwhile, peel and finely cut both the onion and garlic. Add to a pan over medium heat with the olive oil and fry off until translucent, ca. 8 minutes
- Bring a large pot with water to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the brown rice pasta (or gluten-free pasta of choice). Cook according to package instructions. Once done, drain the pasta. Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water in order to mix in as part of the sauce
- For the sauce
- In a small blender, combine the cashews, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, peeled garlic cloves, lemon juice and zest, as well as the salt. Blend on high until fully combined and a smooth sauce has formed
- To combine
- Add the roasted cauliflower, fried onion and garlic, and sauce to the drained pasta. Mix with a bit of the reserved pasta water until fully combined. Serve immediately with chili flakes, chopped parsley, pepper, and/or some more nutritional yeast. Enjoy!
