Umami Cauliflower & Ricotta Pasta
Adapted from this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen
This is perhaps one of my favorite plant-based pasta recipes I've come across. The umami from roasting the cauliflower and kale deserves a big *chef's kiss*. Don't be afraid to heavy on the lemon and walnuts, as they add some incredible unexpected flavor and texture to the dish.
What You'll Need
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp EVOO
- 1/4 Tbsp Umami Seasoning
- 1-2 Tbsp Umami Everyday Sauce
- 1 large head kale, ribbed and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 12 oz (3/4 lb) rigatoni pasta
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice separated
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Umami Seasoning - to taste
- 3 Tbsp JUST Egg
- 1 Tbsp EVOO
- 1/2 cup cream - We subbed Kite Hill Almond Milk Unsweetened Yogurt and a splash of oat milk mixture. However, there are some vegan cream alternatives out there and the author of the original article suggests unsweetened plant-based coffee creamer.
- 12 oz Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta
- 4 oz Follow Your Heart Grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- red pepper flakes
- fresh parsley to finish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425’. Break the cauliflower into florets onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil, pepper, Umami Everyday Sauce and Umami Seasoning and mix all together so that the cauliflower are well-coated. Roast everything for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your florets. They should start to brown.
Pull the pan and add the kale, garlic, and a splash more Umami Everyday Sauce and toss everything again. Pop it back in the oven for 10 minutes for the kale to wilt a bit. Pull and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente.
In another large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, fresh ground pepper, cream substitute, JUST egg, 1/4 cup parmesan. Whisk everything together.
Drain the pasta and reserve a bit of pasta water. Stir in the noodles to the bowl of cheese mixture. Add the roasted cauliflower and kale to the bowl and stir again. Add a 1/2 cup of pasta water and give it another stir.
Leave the heat on 425’. Coat a 2 qt. baking dish or 10-12” cast iron pan. Tip the pasta mixture in. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining and some red pepper flakes on top. Loosely cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 10 minutes, turn the heat up to 475’, uncover the dish, sprinkle the walnuts, and bake another 10ish minutes until the top is just bronzed. Remove and sprinkle fresh parsley on top to serve.
