This recipe was inspired by receiving romenesco and having no idea what to make with it. We love how it pairs with the cheesy Alfredo sauce. Combined with some shittake bacon and wilted greens it’s a perfect pasta night!
Serves: 4
Time: 1 1/2 hrs
Ingredients
2 heads romenesco, cut into small florets (cauliflower or broccoli is a good substitution)
6 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt
1 batch Shiitake Bacon
1 bunch Red Russian kale (or any hearty greens)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb pasta (gluten-free option)
1 onion, sliced
3 tbsp white wine, optional
For the Breadcrumbs:
1 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free option)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
1 cup cashews soaked for at least 30 min
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tbsp garlic granules
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Pre-heat the oven to 375 F and soak 1 cup of cashews in water. Start making shiitake bacon since the mushrooms need time to marinate. Cut the romenesco into florets and toss with 4 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of salt. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender and golden brown with a couple of crispy bits.
To make the breadcrumbs, whizz the sunflower seeds in a food processor until breadcrumb consistency. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Start the food processor and stream the olive oil into the mixture while it is running. This should clump some of the breadcrumbs together. Be careful not to over blend.
Drain the soaked cashews. Add them and all of the other sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. To test the consistency, put a small amount of sauce on your finger and rub your fingers together. If it is completely smooth then you are there! If it feels at all like there is some sandiness, keep blending.
Boil a pot of well salted water. If you aren’t sure how much salt to use, the water should taste similar to seawater. Once boiling, add pasta and cook to desired consistency (follow instructions on pasta package). While pasta is boiling, cook the shiitake bacon and slice the onions. Next de-stem kale, wash, and slice into ribbons. Mince the garlic.
After straining the pasta, heat the pasta pot with oil and saute the onion until it caramelizes and turns a beautiful brown color. You will need to stir less at the beginning, but as the onion starts to break down you will need to be stirring non-stop. If the onion starts to stick, de-glaze the pan with a bit of white wine (optional). Add the cashew alfredo sauce to the pan and stir until slightly thickened. At the same time, in a separate pan, cook the garlic in a little bit of oil, adding the kale in just to wilt. Set these aside.
Now, it’s time to add it all together! Add the strained pasta back into the pot with the Alfredo sauce and stir to coat. To plate serve the Alfredo pasta topped with the romenesco, wilted garlic kale, and shittake bacon. Garnish with breadcrumbs and enjoy!