Bucatini con i Broccoli Arriminati – Long Pierced Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Currants and Saffron Recipe
LONG PIERCED PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER, PINE NUTS, CURRANTS, AND SAFFRON
This exotic combination is pure Sicilian and surely the most common Sicilian way of preparing pasta with cauliflower. (Confusingly, broccoli is cauliflower in Sicily.) Pine nuts and currants are used together in so many Sicilian dishes that markets sell them already combined, and recipes routinely call for passoline e pinoli as if they were one ingredient. For that reason, it’s probably safe to say that most Sicilian cooks don’t plump their currants or toast their pine nuts for this dish, but I think both are worth doing.
It’s always a challenge to specify an accurate quantity of saffron threads because they are awkward to measure. My approach is to pack them lightly into a measuring spoon and to err on the light side. You can always add more later, but too much saffron can ruin a dish.
Serves 4 to 6
Generous ¹/8 teaspoon saffron threads, or more if needed
3 tablespoons currants or golden raisins
1 cauliflower, 1½ to 1¾ pounds
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely minced
Generous pinch of hot pepper flakes
Salt
8 anchovy fillets, minced to a paste
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 pound bucatini (perciatelli) or spaghetti
½ cup toasted bread crumbs (optional)
Preparation instructions:
Soak the saffron threads in 2 tablespoons water for at least 20 minutes to allow their flavor to bloom. Plump the currants in 3 tablespoons warm water for about 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Trim the cauliflower, removing any leaves and separating the florets from the stems. Try to leave the florets in large clusters so they don’t get soggy when cooked.
Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook until barely tender when pierced, about 5 minutes. Lift the florets out of the boiling water with tongs or a skimmer. (Keep the cooking water at a boil.) Let the cauliflower cool, then chop coarsely; you should still have some large pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderately low heat. Add the onion and hot pepper flakes and sauté until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the saffron and its water and the currants with their soaking liquid. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes to flavor the onion base, then add the cauliflower. Season with salt to taste and stir to coat with the seasonings. Cover and simmer briefly to infuse the cauliflower with the seasonings, but take care not to overcook it; the cauliflower should be tender but not mushy. Add a few tablespoons of the boiling water if the sauce looks dry. If the saffron flavor does not seem strong enough, infuse a few more threads in a little of the hot pasta water for a minute or two, then add to the skillet.
Stir in the anchovies, pine nuts, and parsley. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot over low heat. Add the sauce and toss well, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water as needed. Divide among warm bowls. Pass the bread crumbs at the table for those who want them.
Recipe from the “Four Seasons Pasta: A Year of Inspired Recipes in the Italian Tradition” cookbook.