Penne with Two extra Magic Ingredients

I used to be the teensiest bit addicted to pasta in my younger days so I tend not to cook too much of it now. 

However, when I do make it I want my pasta to be tasty and zesty and full of flavour - not gloopy and too tomato-y and just run of the mill.  

So here is my latest version of Penne pasta- which you can make with durum wheat pasta or the one of the new gluten-free varieties we can get these days.

This is a great supper for a big crowd or for a casual family dinner.  

Just vary the quantities to suit but this recipe will feed four pasta lovers.

Roasted Cauliflower Penne 
with Chorizo, Lemon and Hazelnuts.  

Gather together:

• I small- medium cauliflower cut into small florets
• 250 grms or so of Spicy Chorizo sausage
• 1 red capsicum cut into strips

•  1 red onion sliced into strip

• 2 fat cloves of Garlic crushed

• 500 grms or thereabouts of Penne pasta (your choice whether it is regular or gluten free) 

• 1 tblspn Lemon infused Olive Oil~ Magic Ingredient ~ the Lemony Olive Oil helps the cauliflower to "sing" 

• Grated zest of ½ Lemon 

• ½ cup of chopped Hazelnuts – I use a kitchen whizz thingy to do this ~ 2nd Magic Ingredient ~ gives a great texture to this dish 

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Here’s how to create this zingy dish:

Let’s deal with the cauliflower first.

Heat your oven to 180 degrees C

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Put all your cauliflower florets into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of

Magic Added  Ingredient Lemon Infused olive oil, add salt and pepper. 

Lay out cauliflower in a single layer on the tray, season and pop in the oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Check after this time and turn the cauliflowers florets over so they brown evenly.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so (don’t overcook) 

Once done, but still firm, remove from oven and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Then:

Slice the chorizo into thin-ish round pieces, 

Slice the onion and capsicum and crush the garlic. 

Warm a deep frypan on the hot plate and then add the chorizo to cook. 

Just gently bronze the chorizo – don’t overcook - and when done use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. 

Using the oils from the chorizo in the pan, gently fry the onion, capsicum and garlic until soft.

Meanwhile cook your penne until it is “al dente” (that means: it can be just bitten through) in a large pot of boiling water or in the microwave or in your Thermomix. . Whichever works for you. 

Drain your pasta in a colander

Add the cauliflower and chorizo to the pan

Followed by the pasta 

Then add the grated lemon zest, the crushed hazelnuts 

and the half a glass of dry white wine. 

Add at least half of your grated parmesan cheese and stir gently to combine. 

If the mixture seems a tad dry then splosh in a bit more wine.

Season to taste.

Serve  in hot bowls and top with a little more parmesan on each dish. 

It’s nice to serve this pasta dish with an accompanying green salad (I like lambs lettuce in this case) that has been dressed with the magic ingredient again - a splash of the lemon-infused olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. 

Buon Appetito, 

Ruthie Phillips