Roasted clauliflower capellini

For breakfast, I often eat a poached egg with spinach and avocado. I usually feel pretty good by lunchtime, and I firmly believe that when I have an egg for breakfast I am setting my day on the right course. This week I've been eating this every day to ensure I get a decent amount of protein, which is something I don't pay much attention to otherwise - though I should.

Today was my first restaurant outing. I had a business lunch and the vegetarian options for lunch were salads, or you could substitute portobellos for burger patties. Having just had portobello, I opted for a roasted pear and beet salad. And by around 2 p.m., I felt done for the day. My head was throbbing, my body felt limp and I worried I was coming down with something. It occurred to me on my drive home that perhaps the salad wasn't sustaining me like I hoped it would.

I came home, poured a glass of wine, cut a piece of brie and started making this dinner. I instantly felt better. I think what I was suffering from was Merlot deficiency.

Roasted cauliflower capellini

This recipe - another from the Sprouted Kitchen - will not be for everyone. I know someone who would say "no" as soon I said "whole wheat pasta."  As well as "hazelnuts." But I found this ensemble incredibly satisfying, and I probably would not be such a fan of it were it not for the nuts. Every bite I got with every element - the cauliflower, hazelnuts and basil - was really very good. Any time a recipe calls for roasting a vegetable, I'm for it.

The whole process goes very quick. I toasted a handful of chopped hazelnuts in a pan first. The cauliflower, tossed with olive oil, lemon pepper and salt, began to caramelize in the oven much quicker than the recipe said - about 20 minutes. Toward the end of the roasting, the water on the stovetop began to boil, and it took less than 2 minutes to get the pasta to al dente. It was barely enough time to swirl up some browned butter in a saucepan, which is where you place the drained pasta (with some of the water), toss with the cauliflower and hazelnuts, and sprinkle with basil ribbons and shaved Parmesan.

I added a good pinch of salt to my dish, but otherwise, it was a nice recipe that felt very elegant to eat.

The recipe can be found online here.