Penne with Cauliflower/Pear/Hazelnuts/Sage.

Well, I think we can say that it’s officially spring in New York City.

Or can we?

While I appear the be getting my annual springtime allergies (or sinus infection, it’s still to be determined), His Lordship and I walked home from the New York Philharmonic in wind and below freezing temperatures.

At least the weather gods are playing nice for this weekend’s long runs and half marathon.

Speaking of which, good luck to all those running the NYC Half this weekend! Look for me at Engineer’s Gate complete with foam finger and Irish coffee.

Penne with Cauliflower/Pear/Hazelnuts/Sage
Serves 2

Not my finest photo, but whatever.

Ingredients
¼ cup red onion, minced
1 Bosc pear, diced
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 Tbsps. sage, cut en chiffonade
¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped
½ lb. penne rigate
½ cup asiago, grated
Extra-virgin olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper

Procedure
1. Toss cauliflower florets with 3-4 Tbsps. olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400˚F oven for 30-35 minutes until golden.
2. Heat 2 Tbsps. olive oil in large sauté pan; add onion and sauté 5 minutes; add pear, sauté 10 minutes; add roasted cauliflower and hazelnuts; reserve on warm burner.
3. Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to a roiling boil; cook pasta according to directions; toss with asiago and sage; season to taste.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower/Grapes/Cheddar/Hazelnuts.

Interesting combination, I know.

I recently went to the new NoMad in, where else, the NoMad district. I never would have thought to put the combination of ingredients together, but it’s a fantastical burst of flavors indeed.

Also, for those of us unaware, the great city of New York has run out of cool, hip nicknames to call its neighborhoods. This so called “NoMad”  refers to the area “North of Madison Square Park”, and although the name has been around since 1999 (which is still not that long ago), it has only become part of the New York City jargon over the last couple of years or so.

Does this mean I live on EasPar? Or… East Central does it like nobody does?

In any case, let us all commence to carb for the weekend long runs in CentPa, ProPa, or WesHigh.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower/Grapes/Cheddar/Hazelnuts.
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
½ pound short-cut pasta, such as penne rigate
1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 ½ cups red seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 cup cheddar, crumbled or cut into small cubes
Extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.; Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, roast cauliflower: toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out onto baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until golden brown. While cauliflower is roasting, cook pasta until al dente.
3. When pasta is done, transfer to mixing bowl. Toss in cauliflower, grapes, hazelnuts, and cheddar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

“It looks like an alien.”

It’s true. Or maybe some kind of brain. But it’s not. Behold, I give you….Purple cauliflower!

…it’s purple…

This breed pops out during the fall, where a particular antioxidant becomes prevalent, thus giving it it’s purple hue.

LOOK AT IT. It’s so cool. It’s PURPLE. Maybe I’m biased because a.) purple is one of my favorite colors and 2.)I went to East Carolina and still have a bit of Pirate pride. But still. You’re cooking with a purple piece of produce (say it seven times fast), and it’s not eggplant!

So. I bought some (naturally). Christopher is gearing up with the last of his brutal training for IMAZ and had a 2:45 run queued up for Sunday funday. Pasta was in order. But let’s give it a little twist.

….a little purple twist.

Pasta with Delicata Squash/Purple Cauliflower/Sage & Goat Cheese

Ingredients
½ pound cellentani or gemelli pasta
2 medium delicata squash, peeled of skin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 head purple cauliflower, cut into florets
½ bunch of sage, chopped
8 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread onto baking sheet. Cook until roasted and golden brown in color, about 30 minutes.
2. Toss florets with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread onto baking sheet. Cook until roasted and golden brown in color, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
4. In a large bowl, toss squash and cauliflower together. Add cooked pasta, and toss (reserving liquid**). Toss in sage and goat cheese. If pasta seems dry, add some reserved pasta liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ta da!

**Always reserve the pasta liquid. If your pasta is too dry after you have tossed everything together, adding a bit of the cooking liquid can pull it back together while still retaining it’s glorious flavor.**