Sicilian Style Cauliflower with Quinoa

From the amount of cauliflower and Indian recipes we've written about you'd probably be surprised to know that I didn't eat Indian until about 2 years ago and I cannot remember my mom making cauliflower before we tried a mock mashed potato recipe this past winter. My mom was trying some of the recipes from the 17 day diet and this cauliflower and greek yogurt concoction was probably the most disgusting thing she's ever made. So in fair warning, a lot of the recipes I've done are trial by fire.

I've had a couple of pounds of cauliflower in my fridge for the past week and I wanted to do something other than toss them with olive oil and a combination of spices and roast until crispy. Enter this recipe courtesy of the food network. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sicilian-style-cauliflower-with-whole-wheat-pasta-recipe/index.html)

Ingredients:
Kosher salt, as needed, plus 2 teaspoons
3/4 pound whole-wheat penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
5 cups 3/4-inch cauliflower florets (about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds)
1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon capers
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more as needed


Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then salt it generously. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente tender but not mushy. Drain the pasta in a colander set in the sink. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, shallots, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower is well browned, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons salt, water, vinegar, raisins, honey, capers, thyme, bay leaf, fennel seeds, if using, and season with black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower is fork tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf.

Toss vegetables and pasta together along with the pecorino. Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.

Notes:

I'm not convinced this is a Sicilian recipe.

I did not have capers or pine nuts so I used chopped up pitted kalamata olives and toasted almonds. I also decided to use quinoa instead of pasta so that it soaked up the liquid that the cauliflower was cooked in. 

I do not know how to describe what this recipe tasted like. It was weird but I'm pretty sure I liked it. It was SUPER flavorful and definitely needed the quinoa or pasta to cut some of the taste.