Cauliflower Lemon Carbonara
Cauliflower lemon carbonara pasta is the freshest take on carbonara! Roasted cauliflower, garlic and parmesan lemon sauce. It is a healthy and filling alternative to traditional carbonara and perfect for a Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
3 cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pound of pasta cooked and one cup of saved pasta water
1 cup of finely chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure that the cauliflower is completed coated with olive oil. Roast the cauliflower for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring half way through, until it just starts to get golden brown. Cover and keep warm.
While the cauliflower is roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook two minutes less than recommended cooking time and reserve one cup of pasta water in a measuring cup.
While the pasta is cooking heat a skillet large enough to hold the pasta over low heat. Add the butter and the garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes until the garlic slowly begins to brown.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan cheese and almost all of the lemon zest reserve a bit for sprinkling). Add a few cracks of black pepper.
Once the pasta is cooked toss it in the pan with garlic and butter and cook until fully coated. Turn the heat off under the skillet. Add the parmesan/egg mixture and immediately begin stirring with a spatula to create a creamy sauce. Stir for at least 2 minutes, so the eggs don’t scramble and a sauce coats the noodles. The sauce should fully coat the past and should be silky. Whisk in ½ cup of the pasta water and lemon juice and stir until the sauce comes together.
Fold the roasted cauliflower into the pasta in the skillet. Sprinkle with more parmesan and black pepper. Serve immediately!
