Make This Smothered Cauliflower Recipe

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If you truly love the kind of food only an Italian grandma could put on the table, you'll need to hop a ferry to Staten Island and make a pilgrimage to Enoteca Maria. The kitchen is staffed entirely by Italian grandmas, and therefore the food on the table is filled with love. Restaurant founder Jody Scaravella's new cookbook, Nonna's House, is a collection of beloved recipes you'll want to try...even if yours doesn't turn out like Nonna's the first time. First up, a favorite Italian cauliflower preparation. 

Cauliflower is a favorite vegetable in Sicily. It's often eaten with pasta. But I like to make it on its own, in this traditional style, in a skillet full of other vegetables and cheese.

Reprinted with permission from Nonna's House

Make This Smothered Cauliflower Recipe
No Ratings
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
Servings
0
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds)
  • 6 ounces Pecorino Romano
  • 1/2 cup pitted black olives
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 salt-packed anchovies
  • 1 medium fresh hot red cherry pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black paper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and blanch just until the florets begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.
  2. Transfer the florets to a small bowl. Stir in the Pecorino Romano, olives, garlic, anchovies, cherry pepper, and black pepper.
  3. Warm the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the cauliflower mixture. Cook for 1 minute without stirring. Pour in the wine and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring gently once in a while, for 10 minutes.
  4. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, press the mixture down a bit, and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and a crust begins to form on the bottom. Use a large rubber spatula to flip sections of the mixture without stirring them too much. Continue cooking until browned and a little crusty on the other side, about 5 minutes.
  5. Discard the garlic cloves and spoon the cauliflower into a serving bowl.
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