PASTAWITHCAULIFLOWER,
SAUSAGE AND BIG BREADCRUMBS
SERVES 4-6
Kosher salt or sea salt, freshly ground
blackpepper
4tbsunsaltedbutter
2cupscoarsetornbreadcrumbs
(6mm pieces)
Gratedzest of 1 lemon
(^1) / 4 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tbsextravirginoliveoil
450g Italian sausage meat
5garliccloves,thinlysliced
450gcauliflower, cut into bite-sized
pieces
450grigatoni or orecchiette
(^1) / 4 cup (20g) grated Parmigiano
Reggiano, plus more for serving
3 tbs lemon juice
Bringalargepotofsalted water to
a boil for the pasta.
Inalargefrypan,meltbutterover
medium heat until foaming. Add bread,
season with salt and pepper, and cook,
tossing,untilgoldenbrownandtoasted,
4to5minutes.Transferbreadcrumbstoa
medium bowl or plate, add lemon zest and
parsley,andtosstocombine.
Wipe out frypan and return to medium-
highheat.Addoliveoilandwhen
shimmering, add sausage. Use a wooden
spoontobreakinto2.5-5cmpiecesand
cook, undisturbed, until dark golden
brown on underside, 5-7 minutes. Use the
spoontoscrapeupsausage,thentoss
quicklytogetalittleheatonallsides.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.
Add garlic to drippings in pan, remove
from heat, and stir to coat (there should
be enough residual heat to soften the
garlic almost immediately). Place frypan
aside. Add cauliflower to boiling water
and cook until tender all the way through
butnotmushy,4-6minutes.Useaslotted
spoontotransfertofrypan with garlic
andstir to coat with oil.
Addpastatosamepotofboiling
waterandsetatimerfor2-3minutesless
than packet instructions (it should be
veryaldenteandwillfinishcooking
inthesauce).Useaslottedspoonto
transfer pasta to frypan with cauliflower.
Addbrownedsausageandreturnfrypan
to medium heat. Cook, tossing and
addingspoonfulsofpastawaterinto
mixture, until pan sauce starts to
cling to noodles.
Add Parmigiano Reggiano and continue
tocook,tossingandmoisteningwithpasta
waterasneeded,untilcheeseismelted
andpansauceisglossyandabundant.
Addlemonjuiceandhalfofreserved
breadcrumbs and toss to combine.
Serve pasta with remaining breadcrumbs
on top and more Parmigiano Reggiano on
the side.
LEEKS WITH POTATO
CHIPS AND CHIVES
SERVES 4
4 leeks, trimmed and halved
lengthwise
Koshersalt or sea salt, freshly ground
black pepper
3tbsghee
1 cup (75g) kettle-cooked potato chips
(^1) / 4 cup finely sliced chives
Rinseleeks,patthemdryandseason
alloverwithsaltandpepper.Heata
large, dry frypan, preferably cast-iron,
overmedium-highheatfor2minutes.
Addleekstopan,cut-sidedown,and
cook, shaking pan occasionally, until
evenlycharredoncutside,about
4minutes(charredisanicewayofsaying
burned; things could get a little smoky).
Turn leeks over and add ghee and
(^2) / 3 cupwatertothefrypan.Reduceto
a simmer and cook until leeks are tender
whenpiercedwithaskewerandliquid
is almost completely evaporated, about
4minuteslonger.Transferleekstoa
servingplate.Crushpotatochipswith
your hands and let the pieces rain down
on the leeks, then top with chives.
IGREWUPwith a mother who was (and is) an amazing cook, and I didn’t start making my
own meals until I left for college and realised that if I wanted to eat well, I needed to cook
likeshedid.Ibecamearestaurantlinecookinmytwentiesandmadedishesthatwere
beautiful but that no sane person would ever prepare at home. That’s when I learned the
mechanics of cooking and came to understand the relationship between the perfect-ness
of an ingredient and the special-ness of the finished dish. This book is about my life as a
homecook.It’sinspiredbythemealsIcookformyfamilyandfriends,andit’sfilledwith
our favourite things to eat. Cooking begins when you feel the spark, when you know what
you’rehungryfor.Shopforthefoodthatexcitesyou.Shopsmall.Shopoften.Purchase
onlywhatyouhaveroomtostore.Cookwhatyoubuy;finishitup.Ifyoupreferadifferent
flavour profile, change the recipe. If you’re missing something minor, leave it out. If all else
fails,there’s always salt and pepper.
This is an edited extract fromWhereCookingBegins:UncomplicatedRecipestoMakeYouaGreatCook
by Carla Lalli Music © 2019. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Available now at booktopia.com.au
delicious.com.au/recipes
Formore ideas to get you
cooking with confidence.
@lallimusic
84 delicious.com.au