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Pasta and Cauliflower Soup Federica

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Pasta and Cauliflower Soup FedericaRita Maas

Romanesco cauliflower — with its cone-shaped florets — has a more subtle, nuanced flavor than traditional varieties. The size of Romanesco cauliflower can vary widely, so we call for weight in this recipe rather than number of heads.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    5 hrs

  • Yield

    Makes 6 first-course servings

Ingredients

2

quarts chicken stock (page 303; not canned broth)

1

teaspoon fine sea salt

2

1/2 pounds cauliflower (preferably Romanesco), cut into 1-inch-wide florets

1

/4 pound spaghetti, broken into roughly 1 1/4-inch pieces

1

/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Sicilian)

2

ounces finely grated Pecorino (preferably Sicilian) or Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring stock to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over high heat and add sea salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 2

    Stir in cauliflower and simmer, covered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10 to 15 minutes (pasta takes longer to cook in stock than in water).

    Step 3

    Stir in sea salt to taste and serve soup drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cheese.