Twice cooking vegetables (usually blanched or boiled, then pan-fried) is common in Italian kitchens. Here, cauliflower gets the double treatment, transforming its hard florets into a creamy, flavourful sauce that marries beautifully with the typical Sicilian agrodolce (sweet and sour) ingredients of raisins, pine nuts and onion to create an incredibly satisfying pasta dish.
I love to use mafaldine (known as Margherita in Sicily) or bucatini – the velvety sauce coating each strand perfectly. Romanesco broccoli can be substituted for the cauliflower.
1 small cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets
To toast the breadcrumbs, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the breadcrumbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until golden. Allow to cool and season with salt. Set aside.
Place the saffron threads in a small bowl, cover with 100ml of warm water and set aside.
Warm the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10-12 minutes or until soft and beginning to colour. Add the anchovies and cook for 1-2 minutes, breaking them with the back of a wooden spoon to help them dissolve. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any brown bits. Add the raisins, pine nuts, chilli flakes and the saffron, including its soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower in a large saucepan filled with salted, boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until very tender. Use a sieve to transfer the cauliflower into the pan with the onion, retaining the cooking water. Increase the heat to medium and pour a ladleful of the cooking water into the pan. Cook for around 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is very soft, adding more of the cooking water as needed.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the same water you used for the cauliflower. Just before the pasta is al dente, transfer it, using tongs, to the pan containing the cauliflower. Increase the heat to high and continue to cook the pasta, adding more pasta water as needed, until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente. Season to taste and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
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