Fresh Cavatelli with Cauliflower, Almonds, and Toasted Bread Crumbs

¨ö teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces day-old country bread
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
¨ù teaspoon peperoncino (or thyme)
1 small head cauliflower, cut in small florets
1¨ö pounds fresh cavatelli
¨÷ cup sliced almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Fill the large pot with salted water, and heat to a boil. Grate the bread on the coarse holes of a box grater into a mixing bowl; you should have about 2 cups of fluffy crumbs. Pour 5 tablespoons of the olive oil into a skillet, set it over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic and peperoncino. Let them sizzle for a minute or so, then dump in the bread crumbs, and stir to moisten them with the oil. Toast the crumbs for about 5 minutes, tossing them and shaking the pan almost continuously, until they're golden and crisp. Be sure to adjust the heat so neither the bread crumbs nor the garlic gets too dark.

Turn off the heat, and pour the toasted crumbs and garlic into the serving bowl. Meanwhile, start cooking the cauliflower and cavatelli. With the cooking water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender. Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente. Quickly drain them (you can empty the pot into a colander) and spill the pasta and florets on top of the bread crumbs in the bowl.

Sprinkle over the bowl the almonds, parsley, and salt, and toss everything together well, until the crumbs and almonds are evenly distributed and coat the pasta and cauliflower florets. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil all over, and toss again. Serve immediately, right from the bowl.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RIGGY27.