Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Tikka Spices
Penne and tikka-spiced roasted cauliflower tossed with sour cream and mozzarella, finished with a crunchy breadcrumb top. Indian-fusion weeknight pasta comfort.
Equipment
- Large baking tray
- Large pot
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the tikka roasted cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower about 700–800g, cut into bite-size florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or 1/2 tsp paprika plus a pinch of cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste optional; or finely grated fresh ginger
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme optional
For the pasta bake
- 500 g penne or other short pasta
- 1 tin cherry tomatoes about 400g, drained if very watery
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mozzarella grated
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
- 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to toss breadcrumbs
- salt for pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi optional finish; crushed
- 1 pinch garam masala optional finish
Instructions
Roast the cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment.
- In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with olive oil, garlic, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, salt, pepper, and ginger if using. Coat every floret.
- Spread in a single layer. Roast 18–20 minutes until edges are golden and lightly charred.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the tray, toss gently, and roast 5 more minutes until the tomatoes soften and blister a little.
Cook the pasta
- Meanwhile, boil penne in well-salted water until 1–2 minutes under packet time. Drain. Reserve a splash of pasta water if the mix looks dry later.
Assemble and bake
- In a large bowl (or the empty pasta pot), combine hot pasta, roasted cauliflower and tomatoes, sour cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Mix until everything is coated. Loosen with a spoon of pasta water if needed.
- Transfer to a baking dish and press into an even layer.
- Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Scatter over the top. Optional: dust with kasuri methi or a pinch of garam masala.
- Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10–12 minutes until the top is golden and the edges bubble.
- Rest 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
For more char on the cauliflower, broil the florets for the last 1–2 minutes of the first roast before adding tomatoes.
Greek yogurt works in place of sour cream in a pinch. The bake will taste slightly tangier.
Gluten-free short pasta works. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes for the top.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in the oven so the crumb softens less harshly than in the microwave.
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