Bucatini with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, and Raisins
Mediterranean pantry staples make this Sicilian dish fast and easy
Hello, everyone. I want to wish all you moms out there a happy Mother’s Day! I just got home from spending a week with my mom and a long weekend with my kids. So even though I am home alone (my husband is visiting his mom back East), I am happy to have spent so much time with family.
Today, I am delighted to be sharing this recipe for Bucatini with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, and Raisins with you, compliments of the new book The Food of Sicily by Fabrizia Lanza, who runs a cooking school outside of Palermo.
In honor of Mother’s Day, I am taking down the paywall on this post so it is open access to all subscribers. Please, feel free to share! But if you have a free subscription and have been wanting to upgrade, now is a good time. My Mother’s Day Special Offer for 50% off annual subscriptions, including annual gift subscriptions, ends at midnight tonight.
Mother’s day is complicated for many of us
My heart goes out to all of you in the BHK community who have lost moms to Alzheimer’s or anything else. With Alzheimer’s, there are many layers of loss over many years. Pasta, for me, is the ultimate comfort food. And since this recipe is so evocative of the Sicilian food I grew up with, it is like a double dose of comfort that also happens to be brain-healthy.
Mediterranean staple foods to have on hand
On my way home from the airport I picked up a head of cauliflower, a bunch of parsley, and a loaf of bread. Everything else I needed was already in my pantry or easy to substitute. If you take a peek into my pantry, you’ll find a lot of Mediterranean staple foods. Not only do they make everything delicious, many of these foods have proven brain health benefits. Here are a few used in this dish:
Good extra-virgin olive oil: I have an everyday “supermarket” EVOO for cooking (current fave is Partanna) and a high-end EVOO for drizzling and salads (current fave is from Masserica Brancati, an olive farm in Puglia we visited on the last Brain Health Retreat that produces a lush, peppery oil high in polyphenols)
Tomato paste: the recipe calls for estratto, a type of sun-dried tomato paste that is a common staple food in Sicily; instead, look for and Italian brand of good tomato paste in a tube at the grocery store, such as Mutti or Cento.
Canned anchovies: my pantry has a whole section for tinned fish, especially anchovies and sardines packed in EVOO, which are rich in brain-friendly fats DHA and EPA.
High-quality pasta: I keep a huge selection of pasta on hand, most from the supermarket but also some special ones I bring back from Italy. Bucatini is a long pasta that is hollow throughout; Barilla is a supermarket brand that has high protein bucatini. Pasta that’s high in protein and fiber can be part of a brain-healthy way of eating. (Find my pasta recommendations here.)
Golden raisins, raisins, and currants: these fruits are rich in flavonoids, a bioactive substance that protects the brain from oxidative stress. I was out of these so I use dried wild blueberries instead; so good!
I love the briny flavor of the anchovies with the caramelized onion and the cauliflower—a very Sicilian combination—but if you prefer a vegan or vegetarian dish just leave them out. Make it alcohol-free by using broth instead of wine.
After a big week and a long travel day, this pasta came together quickly and easily. I took my bowl of pasta to the sofa, snuggled up with Orzo and Livvie, and tucked in while watching Ripley on Netflix, a series set in 1950’s Rome and Naples with gorgeous cinematography. I was inspired by
(my partner in the Italy Brain Health Retreats) who wrote about the virtues of eating in front of the TV in her last newsletter. It’s something I almost never do and it was the perfect solo supper.If you are dreaming of going to Italy in real life (and perhaps take your mom?), Elizabeth and I still have a few spots in my Sicily tours this October. To learn where we will go and what we will do, click on the brochures below. Oh, and if you would like to join BOTH fall Sicily retreats, you will receive a discount of 5%.
I hope you enjoy this recipe from The Food of Sicily. I’ll be having it again tonight as I dive into Ripley, episode 7.
Love,
Annie
Bucatini with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, and Raisins
Serves 4 to 6
For the sauce
Fine sea salt
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds/900 g), cut into bite-size florets
1 medium red onion, chopped
⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
3 oil-packed anchovy fillets
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons raisins, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
1 tablespoon estratto (sun-dried tomato paste) or other good-quality tomato paste
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
For the toasted bread crumbs
½ cup (60 g) plain dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For assembly
1 pound (450 g) dried bucatini or other long pasta
Make the sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender when poked with a fork, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a colander. Reserve 2 cups (480 ml) of the cooking water. (Keep the pot with the remaining water to cook the pasta, adding more water if needed.)
In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until very light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the anchovies, mashing them with a wooden spoon, then stir in the pine nuts, raisins, and cooked cauliflower.
Dissolve the estratto in the wine, then pour the mixture into the pan along with the reserved 2 cups of cauliflower cooking water. Simmer gently until the cauliflower is falling-apart tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over very low heat.
Meanwhile, make the toasted bread crumbs: In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until well toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Assemble the dish: Return the pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook until al dente. Reserving 2 cups (480 ml) of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the pasta to the pan of cauliflower. Toss gently to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little cooking water if needed.
Scatter the toasted bread crumbs on top and serve at once.
Upcoming Brain Health Retreats
Ortigia, Sicily October 13 to 19, 2024: Join me in the ancient city of Ortigia in southeast Sicily on this culinary adventure. We’ll cook with local chefs, tour almond, avocado, and olive farms, and learn all about olive oil.
Palermo, Sicily October 27 to November 4, 2024: Join me in the vibrant city of Palermo and explore less-traveled western Sicily. We’ll visit farms and cook local dishes, while soaking up the beauty of ancient Greek temples, medieval villages, coastal salt flats, and maybe even get to see olive oil pressed!
Tecate, Mexico, Rancho La Puerta BHK Group November 2024: Join other BHK subscribers as we connect with our own group as part of this wellness destination (that has an amazing spa). Just an hour from San Diego, this week-long retreat includes cooking classes at their 5-acre organic garden and culinary center. SOLD OUT, join the waitlist by contacting Donna at dsher52@hotmail.com
Costa Rica, January 9 to 14, 2025. If a cozy cabaña nestled in the jungle near the beach is more your style, join me on this 6-day brain health retreat. We’ll enjoy energizing yoga, plant-based cuisine, waterfall walks and a comprehensive brain health education in this jungle oasis.
Do you have a fav lentils brand you can recommend ?
Happy Mother’s Day! I plan to try this recipe this week!