Head to Head

finished Cauliflower Noodles

In my quest to develop a modern cuisine I continuously test old recipes and new thoughts on techniques and trends against those surfacing in Vegetable Alchemy with its growing cell plant to body focus.  Weekly I receive all kinds of newsletters that offer surprises in products and people working in the food chain around the globe . One of these groups is possibly the core of my most respected reading from test kitchens. I have enjoyed their work for decades.  From a recent test recipe bundle,  I cooked up a pasta dish with cauliflower.  Cauliflower rocks!

wide noodles drained leaving most of the starch behind

Their insight was that using a smaller amount of water to cook pasta and not draining it offered a thick base to create a sauce.  The recipe did exactly what was promised.  But for Vegetable Alchemy and a more nutritionally rich dish with far less calories, I adjusted it for less of all starches and lightly browned the cauliflower to keep it crisp. My ingredients included: blanched pasta, cauliflower, bacon, onion, stock, thyme, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper.  I could have thinly cut some nutrient dense greens and added but this time I just wanted the sublime taste of the cauliflower carried through the pasta and herbs.  I did not use the recommended campanelle as I had a few portions of wide egg noodles to  cook knowing I did not need all that starch.  I have included the original and my notes in captions below the pics.  Happy cooking with either version. The Vegetable Alchemist.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/7770-pasta-with-cauliflower-bacon-and-bread-crumbs?extcode=LN14G3CBA