Fusilli with tomato sauce, cauliflower and olives

This is simple, quick and delicious – my favorite trifecta! From Schulman’s Mediterranean Harvest – adapted slightly – she only calls for one cup of tomato sauce, but we like to use more, and the original recipe only calls for 1/2 head of cauliflower, but we the do the whole thing (which is probably why we need another cup of sauce).

• one head of cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 24 kalamata olives, pitted
• 2 cups marina sauce (here’s a good one) Note: I used 1 can of cherry tomatoes for the sauce in this picture – I highly recommend them – I got it at Whole Foods
• 3/4 pound fusilli
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to boil for cooking the pasta. While you are boiling the water, make the sauce.

Place the cauliflower cut side down on a cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown around the edges – about 5 minutes. Add some salt to taste, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring for another 2 – 3 minutes. Taste to make sure the cauliflower is well-seasoned. Stir in the olives and tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low while you wait for the pasta to cook..

Drain the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top and serve.