NPR News

Sauteed Cauliflower

NPR

Published November 28, 2007 at 2:18 PM EST

From The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters

4 servings

This is tasty as a side vegetable or served as a pasta sauce, tossed with large noodles.

Clean the leaves from:

1 large head or 2 small heads of cauliflower

Remove the base of the stem with a small, sharp knife. From the top down, cut the cauliflower into 1/4-inch slices. (If the cauliflower is large, cut in half for easier slicing.)

Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the cauliflower with:

Salt

Let the cauliflower sit until it starts to brown a bit before stirring or tossing. Cook, continuing to stir or toss until the cauliflower is tender, about 7 minutes total. Don't worry if the cauliflower starts to break up; that is part of the charm of the dish. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Finish with a drizzle of:

Extra-virgin olive oil

Variations:

When the cauliflower is a minute or so from being done, add a couple of chopped garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

Garnish with a handful of Toasted Breadcrumbs (page 63).

A classic Italian dish adds the parsley and garlic along with chopped salt-cured anchovies and capers, hot chile flakes, and coarsely chopped olives. This is delicious on pasta.

Sprinkle with fresh-ground cumin, chopped garlic, turmeric, and chopped cilantro during the last few minutes of cooking.