Roasted Cauliflower Tikka Pasta
Roasted cauliflower blended with yogurt and warm tikka spices makes a rich, lighter pasta sauce. An easy Indian fusion dinner ready in about 40 minutes.
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Blender or an immersion blender
Ingredients
For the roasted cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into even florets (about 6 cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the tikka sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder for color, add more for heat
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt thick, unsweetened
- salt to taste
For the pasta
- 12 ounces penne or rigatoni or fusilli (about 340 g)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water plus more as needed
To finish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Roast the cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, turmeric, and salt. Spread them in a single layer with room around each floret so they roast instead of steam.
- Roast for about 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and caramelized. Set aside a handful of the prettiest florets for garnish.
Make the tikka sauce
- While the cauliflower roasts, warm the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and soften the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and tomato paste, then stir in the garam masala, kashmiri chilli, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Cook until the spices smell toasty and the raw edge is gone.
Blend and toss
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a full cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Add most of the roasted cauliflower, the spice base, the yogurt, and a good splash of pasta water to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pan and warm it gently (do not boil, or the yogurt can split). Loosen with more pasta water until silky.
- Fold in the cooked pasta and the reserved roasted florets. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt before serving.
Notes
Blend hot, off the heat. Adding cold yogurt to a bubbling pan can split it, so warm the blended sauce gently rather than boiling.
Make it vegan by swapping the dairy yogurt for a thick unsweetened cashew or coconut yogurt.
Adjust the heat with a pinch of cayenne or a chopped green chilli when you bloom the spices, or halve the chilli powder to keep it mild.
Make the sauce ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water, since the pasta drinks up sauce as it sits.
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