(Fusilli con i Broccoli Arriminati )
The flavor of this sauce is a combination of sweet and sour in the tradition of many Sicilian dishes. Sicilian green cauliflower has a particular taste, and it can be found only locally, but this dish is a mouthwatering experience of Sicilian cooking and is enjoyable even if another type of cauliflower is used.
The best pasta for this dish is fusilli, a spiral-shaped dry pasta. Serve this dish lukewarm at least two hours after preparation, giving it time to set and blend all the flavors.
2 lbs. green cauliflower
Salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
finely diced crushed red pepper, to taste
2 oz. pine nuts
2 oz. Raisins
1 lb. fusilli pasta
Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil, add cauliflower and salt. Cook for about five minutes, until cauliflower is half-cooked and not yet fully tender, drain. In a medium saucepan add olive oil, add the onion, red pepper, and sauté gently over medium heat until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add pine nuts, raisins and cauliflower. Mix to combine and sauté briefly. If sauce is too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the cauliflower cooking water. Toss with your fusilli or your favorite pasta.
- Submitted by Nancyjo Riekse, agricultural marketing director for Placer County
