Braised Cauliflower with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Red Onion
Cauliflower is a tricky vegetable – it has an interesting flavor, but it must be coaxed out of it. There’s nothing nice about bland, soggy, boiled cauliflower.
In this recipe, the cauliflower is braised in the juices of delicious cherry tomatoes, so its flavor is retained in the sauce, rather than being lost to a pot of water. When I made this recipe a couple weeks ago, I had the fortune to find some absolutely perfect, local cherry tomatoes. They burst with juices when I added them to the hot pan, and really made the dish.
Red onion, black olives, and a little chile round out the dish, adding zesty, briny, and piquant flavors that greatly complement the cauliflower and bring out its subtleties. It’s a great contorno, or Italian vegetable dish, and could be served warm or cold, as a garnish or a salad.
Saute red onions and chile
Add the cauliflower florets and halved cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes will break down in the heat and create a juicy sauce
Heat & Knives
The recipe
Source: Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking
1 ½ pounds broccoli rabe (rapini), or 1 pound cauliflower or broccoli
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more oil if using cheese
1 dried red chili, crumbled
sea salt
15 to 20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
15 to 20 black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup grated hard aged cheese: pecorino, caciocavallo, or parmigiano reggiano (optional)
Rinse and trim the broccoli rabe and discard any yellow or wilted leaves. Cut into 2-inch lengths. If you’re using broccoli or cauliflower, rinse and cut into florets.
Combine the onion with the olive oil in a pan that will not suffer when put under the broiler. Set over medium-low heat. As the onions start to sizzle, add the chili and salt to taste. Stir in the vegetable pieces, halved tomatoes, and black olives. Add about ¼ cup boiling water, then cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes. Check the vegetables for tenderness, piercing the thick parts with the point of a knife. If they need to cook a little longer, you may wish to add a little more boiling water to keep the vegetables from scorching.
Meanwhile, if you’re using the cheese topping, turn the broiler on to high. When the vegetables are done, sprinkle the cheese over the top, dribble on a little more olive oil, and run under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove and serve immediately.
