pasta with a pureed pea and cauliflower sauce

I'm not sure what this dish started off as being, but it ended up as a pasta recipe. Actually, I had intended to make pasta all along, though it was the sauce that I came up with as I went.

Tomato sauces get a bit old after a time, and I wanted something a bit richer than a simple olive oil-garlic sauce with add ins. I've really been enjoying recipes with the addition of pureed vegetables and I figured I'd turn that into a sauce.

Admittingly, I wasn't altogether sure of what I was doing, and the thought of split pea soup atop pasta didn't really sound very appetizing. Really, doe that sound appetizing? Anyway. I also added some cauliflower that wasn't really enough to use on its own, and I seasoned the sauce with thyme, paprika, and white pepper. The white pepper flavor ended up being my favorite part because it contrasted the pea taste quite nicely. So I ended up using a higher amount of it than I would normally, so the taste was the prominent flavor, but not overpowering. Adjust to suit your own taste, though.

Confession: I haven't really felt like blogging much. I don't really feel like composing the picture to photograph, to then edit to blog about. Maybe it's a lack of enthusiasm for the recipe, or maybe I just want to eat without thinking too much about it. Maybe I'm going through a moon cycle. So, this wasn't even going to make it to the blog until I decided right after I dished it out to take a picture. The recipe wasn't written down as I went, but I think I'm gotten it all down from memory.

Does anyone else go through phases with their blogging? Whenever this happens I try and at least get 2-3 posts up a week just to maintain a rhythm.

Recipe after the jump

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pasta with a pureed pea and cauliflower sauce
recipe by Christina Provo

ingredients ~

1 large onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 16 ounce pack of frozen peas
1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2-1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus additional
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
16 ounces pasta
Mozzarella cheese

directions ~

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons coarse salt.
   in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cauliflower florets and stir to coat, followed by frozen peas (break up any chunks before adding). Stir in thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, paprika and salt; saute for 4 minutes. Pour chicken broth over contents of skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower can be pierced easily.


2. One cooked, puree pea mixture in batches in a blender. You will probably need to use more broth. Once mixture is all pureed, return to skillet and keep at a low simmer. Taste for seasoning, adjusting accordingly. Whisk in sour cream and parsley.


3. When water in pot has reached a boil, cook pasta for two minutes less than stated cooking time. Stir in 1 cup pasta water into pea sauce, then add drained pasta to sauce and continue cooking until al dente. Serve with mozzarella cheese.