Cauliflower Tomato Pasta with Walnuts
This Italian Cauliflower Tomato Pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes! It's gluten free and made with tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, and walnuts.
Servings: 5
Calories: 518kcal
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 head cauliflower about 3-4 cups
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil split
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 box Barilla Red Lentil Penne or any gluten free short past
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 oz. walnuts or nut of choice, unsalted
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ cup basil or herb of choice for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Mince 6 cloves of garlic.
- Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets (yields 3-4 cups). Make sure all the pieces are relatively the same size to ensure they cook evenly.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high and add 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the skillet along with ¼ tsp. each of of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth as needed to deglaze the pan and prevent the cauliflower from sticking.
- Prepare 1 box of Barilla Red Lentil Penne (or gluten free short pasta of choice) according to package instructions and drain. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Add the cooked penne to the pan along with the pasta water and stir.
- Heat a small cast iron skillet (or any small skillet) to medium-low. Add 2 oz. of walnuts (or nut of choice) to the pan and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside once toasted.
- Add 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, and ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Continue to cook on medium heat for another 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes have warmed and the cheese has melted.
- Serve the pasta with a sprinkling of the toasted nuts, additional Parmesan cheese, and some freshly chopped basil (or herb of choice).
Notes
Feel free to sub the walnuts for any nuts you like. Unsalted almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts are all great options. Alternately, you can leave them out altogether if you have a nut allergy.
Feel free to use any brand of gluten free short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or rotini.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 3mg