Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Leek

It is nice to switch things up every once in a while, and a tiny swap can go long ways when you are cooking. So we are dropping the spaghetti and instead we are making Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Leek. Another delicious and super easy pasta dish that you will absolutely love. 

Who doesn't love pasta? 

Pasta dishes are very practical and a great option when you're after a nourishing, tasty and filling meal. And the best thing is the versatility you can find when it comes to pasta recipes. I mean, just think about the many different types of pasta we can choose from let alone all the recipes that exist and the ones that are being invented at this very moment. 

When it comes to the kind of pasta we use it is easy to always opt for the same thing over and over, spaghetti, linguini, rotini. So, for this recipe, I used orecchiette which is rarely on my radar. But it is a super fun, kid-friendly pasta and I love how it can hold a nice creamy sauce. 

Orecchiette is widely used in Southern Italy in the region of Puglia. Since it is shaped like a tiny concave ear they usually cook it with hearty tomato sauces and vegetables. Actually, that's what orecchiette means in Italian: little ear. 

This shape comes in really handy when you are trying to scoop every last bit of food on your plate and you don't want to lose a thing while it's making its way to your mouth. We have a couple of different things going on in this recipe, so a pasta that can hold them all is definitely the best option. 

The stars of this recipe are, of course, the vegetables. We are roasting cauliflower and leek to get the most flavour out of them. I like to cut them into small chunks so they cook a bit faster. Just make sure to toss them a couple of times while they are in the oven so everything cooks evenly. 

The combination of leek and cauliflower is an absolute powerhouse of nutrients. Both are among the healthiest vegetables in the world. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants which will provide you with a wide range of health benefits.

The last element of this pasta is our nice hearty, creamy and absolutely mouthwatering sauce. The sauce will bind all the ingredients together and that is where most of our flavour comes from.

We need a few ingredients to get the right taste and consistency but you probably already have everything in your pantry. We are using toasted almond flour, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and some spices. 

The secret ingredient in this sauce is the white beans. It is very rare to see white beans mixed in a sauce but you will love the creamy texture you get. And this is a great way to sneak in a good amount of plant-based protein to our delicious and heartwarming orecchiette. 

This pasta dish has it all!