You heard about it right here: Cauliflower can be incredibly delicious. How? Braised with tomatoes. I got the recipe from the Two Small Farms website.
The Making of "Tomato-Braised Cauliflower": (left) the starting material; (right) in the pan with onions and tomatoes, ready for braising
TOMATO-BRAISED CAULIFLOWER
This is an excellent side dish, but it also makes a great sauce for pasta, or when topped with shave Pecorino Romano Cheese, a delicious appetizer.
1 head cauliflower (@ 2.5 lbs) or 3 smaller romanesco heads of cauliflower
3 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 fresh or dried bay leaves (I used dried rosemary)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups cored, peeled and seeded, tomatoes or one 16 oz can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and seeded.
salt
Pull off the cauliflower leaves and cut out the core. Break the cauliflower head into florets no larger than 1.5″. In a large casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower, bay leaves, and peperoncino and season lightly with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, crush the tomatoes by hand. Add the tomatoes to the cauliflower and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is very tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about another 30 minutes. Check the cauliflower after 20 minutes. There should be just enough liquid to lightly coat it. If there is more, finish cooking the cauliflower uncovered. Season with salt and serve hot.
I ate this relatively simple dish with a little sprouted whole wheat flour spaghetti, along with fresh cracked pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese. I’m sure the dish would be equally delicious with any kind of pasta or rice.
