FUSILLI WITH CARMELIZED ONIONS, CAULIFLOWER, AND WHITE WINE

Cauliflower and pasta was not something I ate growing up; it isn't in the southern Italian American repertoire. Never a big fan of tomato-based sauces, I enjoy experimenting with lighter sauces. When I saw a recipe in the March issue of Cooking Light for fusilli with carmelized spring onions, I headed to the supermarket to look for ramps. Alas, there were none. The recipe did note that Vidalias could replace the ramps, so I did just that. A half head of cauliflower was also in the vegetable bin, so I decided that it could only improve the dish. This is my version of the dish:

Serves 4
1/2 head cauliflower
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
3 tbs olive oil, divided
2 tsp minced garlic, divided
2 cups thinly sliced onions (I used Vidalias)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
8 ounces uncooked fusilli (corkscrew shaped)
1 tbs Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of pasta water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the cauliflower, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the Panko, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, and a dash of salt. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 minutes, or until golden, stirring halfway through. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add remaining 2 tbs olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes, until carmelized. Add the remaining 1 tsp garlic and the wine. Increase the heat and cook 1 minute. Add the broth and pasta water ansd cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tbs Kosher salt until al dente. Drain and add the pasta and cauliflower to the onion mixture, tossing gentle. Season to taste.

Serve 1 cup pasta per serving topped with 1/4 of the Panko mixture.
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TASTE NOTES
If you are a "saucy" person, you may be disappointed in the lightness of this preparation. Since I do not like an abundance of sauce or a heavy sauce, this pasta was right up my alley. I loved the combination of the soft onions with the crunchy Panko. The roasting brings out the flavor of the cauliflower and the white wine lent a nice acidity to the sauce. Since the recipe did not call for grated cheese, I did not add it. This was a mistake. I haven't met a pasta yet that can't be improved by the flavor of some grated cheese and yes, that includes seafood pasta as well.