This is a different kind of dish I tried the other day. I don’t end up making pasta as often in the summer months. Most meals are grilled and quick to make. As I have mentioned many times before, my husband loves cauliflower in any form and cuisine. I usually end up making it with Indian flavors- but for this meal I decided to pair it with pasta and sausage. I read a recipe in a magazine where the cauliflower was served in an anchovy sauce- I love anchovies and use them anywhere I can.

So, for this dish, I cooked the sausages with the anchovies, garlic and thyme. Somehow I always think of thyme when I cook with cauliflower- the two work really well together. I roasted the cauliflower in the oven and added the florets to the sausage mixture once they were golden brown. I paired it all with some orcchiette pasta (they look like tiny little ears). I love buying different shaped pasta- it makes for an interesting meal.

To add great texture to the dish, I roasted some leftover bread cut into small pieces with a drizzle of olive oil. Once the croutons were golden brown and crispy, I added them on top.

The pasta was delicious- essentially a one pot meal since it had everything in there.

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the florets on to a lined cookie sheet and drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt. Mix well and bake for 45 minutes or till the florets are golden brown and soft. Keep aside.

• 3 to 4 slices of sour dough bread cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the bread pieces on a small lined cookie sheet and drizzle the olive oil. Bake in the same oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or till the bread pieces are golden brown and crunchy. Keep aside.

• 1 four pack chicken sausage, taken out of the casings and crumbled
• 3 to 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• ½ pound orcchiette pasta, cooked al dente
• ½ cup spare pasta water
• ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
• Salt

In a large frying pan, add the olive oil and anchovy fillets. Cook on medium heat for a minute or two. Add the crumbled sausage and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and fresh thyme. Saute for a minute and add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Add the cauliflower and mix well. Next, add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Cook for another minute or two till the cheese is heated through. Add the salt and taste for seasonings. Serve each plate with a sprinkle of crispy croutons on top.