Pasta with Cauliflower and Spinach

Here's a quick and easy pasta dish that you probably could have thought of yourself, but you didn't.  That's my favorite kind of weeknight dinner recipe - something that you can practically perfect on the first try and that you know you'll like, but that you didn't have to think of on your own.  It's inexpensive and only takes 30 minutes or so to prepare.

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks Dinner.  It's a small book full of quick and simple recipes that you probably could have improvised on your own.  I'm a Bittman fan so I was excited when I found this book on the Give-Away Table in our lobby!  Apparently you can also buy it for five dollars on amazon.com.


Pasta with Cauliflower and Spinach
Adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks Dinner

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
Salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
1 5 oz. package of baby spinach, pre-washed
1 pound penne, ziti, or other cut pasta
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Trim the cauliflower and divide it into large florets.  Salt the water, add the cauliflower, and cook until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy.  Remove the cauliflower and set it aside; chop it roughly into small pieces.

Combine the oil and garlic in a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the same water that you used for the cauliflower.

When the garlic is golden, add the cauliflower and bread crumbs to the skillet and turn the heat to medium.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and stir.  Cook, stirring occasionally.  When the pasta is done, drain it, adding about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid to the vegetables. 

Serve by spooning the vegetables over pasta.
Serves 6.

Variations:

• Substitute broccoli, broccoli rabe, or kale for the cauliflower and spinach.  
• Substitute grated cheese for the bread crumbs. 
• Add 3-4 anchovy fillets to the skillet with the garlic
• Add crumbled sausage meat or chopped shrimp to the garlic mixture.
• Top with chopped herbs, such as parsley or basil.