Olive oil
2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes
2 med. yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1¼ tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb rigatoni
4 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets, roasted
10 oz shredded Fontina (approx. 2 ½ cups)
2 oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (approx. ¾ cup)
Heat oven to 400ºF. Cut cauliflower into 1-inch pieces, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned. Set aside.
Position rack in the center of the oven and increase oven temp to 450º F. Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil in a large pot. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
Pour off 1 cup of juice from one of the cans of tomatoes and discard it. In a blender or food processor, purée both cans of tomatoes with their remaining juice and set aside.
Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a 6- to 8-qt. Dutch oven or heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, about 1 minute, add the onions and ¼ tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Push the onions to the side of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon and add the garlic. Cook until it just starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Add the puréed tomatoes and cream (be careful; it will splatter), plus the remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the sauce thickens slightly. Add the parsley and the red pepper flakes, and cook until the flavors are melded, about 5 minutes more. Taste for salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, when the salted water comes to a boil, cook the rigatoni until it’s al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add with cauliflower to the sauce.
Add 1½ cups of the shredded Fontina to the pasta mixture and toss well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Top the pasta with the remaining 1 cup Fontina and then the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
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