Creamy Pasta with Cauliflower

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Zesty red pepper flakes add heat to this cauliflower pasta dish topped with a rich Parmesan cream sauce.

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1/2 cup salted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 pints heavy cream
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle pasta
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Directions

1 Place cauliflower into a large pot of salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove cauliflower with a strainer, reserving the cooking water in the pot.
2 Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and red pepper flakes; sauté until browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
3 Add heavy cream; cook until reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, bring cauliflower cooking water back to a boil. Add farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
5 Add tomatoes to the cauliflower sauce; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower sauce; cook and stir until melted, about 1 minute more.
6 Combine pasta and sauce; toss until well coated. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese to serve.