I had a fabulous Hungry Harvest box this week and it included a fun vegetable called Romanesco!
This vegetable is beautiful, and is considered an ancestor of a cauliflower and broccoli.
The best part is that it is a perfect combination of the two, and not as bitter! Not to mention it is part of that Fibonacci sequence...which I guess means it is just perfect all around!
I always hear about Romanesco on the food network but have never had the chance to try it. Let me tell you... I am HOOKED. It is my new favorite vegetable! It is great raw, blanched, and roasted! It is easy to pluck off the stem and enjoy. Since it has such a naturally amazing taste I kept it SUPER easy with this recipe and grabbed supporting flavors to enhance the beauty of the Romanesco. Seriously, this was so delicious that John went back for seconds and requested I make it a second time the following night! Plus, dinner was on the table in 30 minutes! YUM!
Alright! Let's get cookin' and spend some thyme together ya'll! Per the usual I included the basic ingredients you need for this recipe, the ingredients I used, and directions to follow along. If you modified something, then skip that step or replace the step with your own ingredient!
Lemon Garlic Romanesco Pasta
30 Minute 4+ servings
Keep It Simple | Just The Basics:
1 Head Romanesco
1/2-1 LB Pasta
2 TBSP Unsalted Butter (sub Olive Oil or Gee)
1 Lemon & Zest
1-2 Cups Heavy Cream (sub Milk or Almond Milk), Room Temperature
2 Large Shallots (sub sweet onion)
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Thyme For Mine | Make it With Me:
1 Head Romanesco
1/2-1 LB Gluten-Free Pasta (depends on how many you are feeding)
2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
1 Lemon & Zest
1-2 Cups Almond Milk , Room Temperature
2 Large Shallots (sub sweet onion), Minced
4-5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 TBSP Thyme
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Direction Thyme:
1. Preheat oven 425
2. Separate head of Romanesco and cut into bite size pieces
TIP: to keep the pretty shape, trim off stem then cut in half
3. Cover sheet tray with parchment
4. Place Romanesco on tray, cut side down
5. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper
6. Roast 20 minutes or until it starts to brown and crisp slightly
7. Cook pasta per the normal directions minus 1-2 minutes so it Is slightly underdone
TIP: Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid to help bring the dish together or thin the sauce if it becomes too thick
8. While pasta and Romanesco is cooking begin sauce
9. Heat large sauté pan on medium heat
10. Add butter to pan
11. Sauté garlic and shallots until tender, salt and pepper while sautéing
12. Add lemon zest and cream
13. Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly to prevent burning
14. Add thyme and extra salt/pepper to taste
15. Once sauce thickens, squeeze lemon into sauce
16. Add pasta to sauce and use reserved cooking liquid to thin if needed
17. Once pasta is covered, add romanesco and stir
Serve & Enjoy!
TIP: Add 2-3 grilled chicken thighs seasoned with thyme, salt and pepper for an added flavor!
