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Gluten-Free Penne with Spiced Butter, Cauliflower and Pine nuts

By Stephanie Pixley

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Gluten-Free Penne with Spiced Butter, Cauliflower and Pine nuts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small head cauliflower (1 ½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets4 shallots, sliced ½ inch thickSalt and pepper ¼ cup water ½ cup pine nuts, chopped6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces2 garlic cloves, minced¾ teaspoon ground coriander ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ¾ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach ¾ teaspoon lemon juice 12 ounces gluten-free penne

Before You Begin

When browning the butter, make sure to use a skillet with a traditional (not a dark nonstick) finish. Butter can go from brown to burnt quickly, and the light finish of the pan will ensure you can see the color change. Cooking times for gluten-free pasta vary from brand to brand. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower, shallots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add water to skillet, cover, and continue to cook until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
  2. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels. Add nuts and toast over medium heat, shaking skillet frequently, until fragrant and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in garlic, coriander, ginger, paprika, and cinnamon, swirling pan until garlic and spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cauliflower-shallot mixture, spinach, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and let sit until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, add remaining cooking water as needed to adjust consistency.
Gluten-Free Penne with Spiced Butter, Cauliflower and Pine nuts
Styling by Daniel Cellucci.

Gluten-Free Penne with Spiced Butter, Cauliflower and Pine nuts

Headshot of Stephanie Pixley
By Stephanie Pixley
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Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small head cauliflower (1 ½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
4 shallots, sliced ½ inch thick
Salt and pepper
¼ cup water
½ cup pine nuts, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
12 ounces gluten-free penne

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small head cauliflower (1 ½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
4 shallots, sliced ½ inch thick
Salt and pepper
¼ cup water
½ cup pine nuts, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
12 ounces gluten-free penne

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small head cauliflower (1 ½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
4 shallots, sliced ½ inch thick
Salt and pepper
¼ cup water
½ cup pine nuts, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
12 ounces gluten-free penne

Why This Recipe Works

We found it best to brown the cauliflower in a skillet to bring out its sweet notes, then add water to the pan, set the cover in place, and let the cauliflower steam until tender. We had to use olive oil to sauté the cauliflower because butter burned during this long cooking time. Building a butter sauce separately, and letting the butter brown, complemented the cauliflower with a deeper, nuttier flavor. A selection of warm spices added depth with minimal prep, and blooming the ground spices in the butter mellowed and deepened their flavors. We eventually settled on the combination of coriander, ginger, paprika, and just a hint of cinnamon. We tried to streamline this list but found each was a must to create just the right balance. To give the dish heft and also freshness, we then tested a few more vegetable additions. Asparagus seemed out of place, but baby spinach added the needed burst of color and a balancing earthiness. Pine nuts lent richness as well as texture, and sautéed shallots added another layer of sweetness. To keep our multicomponent sauce to one pan, we set the cauliflower aside after browning it, then used the same pan to toast the nuts and brown our butter. We then added the spices and gave them a minute to cook and mellow. A final squirt of lemon juice brightened the dish just enough and cut through the richness.

Before You Begin

When browning the butter, make sure to use a skillet with a traditional (not a dark nonstick) finish. Butter can go from brown to burnt quickly, and the light finish of the pan will ensure you can see the color change. Cooking times for gluten-free pasta vary from brand to brand. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower, shallots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add water to skillet, cover, and continue to cook until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
  2. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels. Add nuts and toast over medium heat, shaking skillet frequently, until fragrant and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in garlic, coriander, ginger, paprika, and cinnamon, swirling pan until garlic and spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cauliflower-shallot mixture, spinach, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and let sit until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, add remaining cooking water as needed to adjust consistency.

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