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Pasta with Lemon-Roasted Romanesco

Prep Time:  10 Minutes

     Cook Time:  20-25 Minutes

     Serves:  4

Don’t be afraid to eat Romanesco. It may be perfectly, freakishly beautiful, but it’s darn good for you and delicious to boot. Take a chance and try this savory recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz. package fresh pasta
  • 1 medium head romanesco, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, skin-on
  • 1 Tbsp. local sunflower oil
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs of choice (like sage, oregano, or rosemary)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread Romanesco florets and garlic cloves in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Drizzle with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat.
  2. Roast uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until starting to brown.
  3. Meanwhile, boil pasta according to directions, drain, and return to pot.
  4. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add butter. Let foam and then watch carefully until it turns a rich brown and smells nutty. This should just take a few minutes. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
  5. To serve, slip the garlic from its skins and add the roasted garlic, roasted Romanesco, browned butter and lemon zest to the pot containing the cooked pasta. Toss to coat and taste for salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs.

Notes

Suggestions For fresh pasta, we recommend local RP’s Pasta Company’s campanelli or rigatoni. This recipe pairs well with Wollersheim Winery's Prairie Fumé, a crisp, fresh, semi-dry white bursting with citrus and tropical fruit aromas that are reminiscent of orange and grapefruit with a hint of sweetness. For tips on browning butter watch this video at www.eatwisconsincheese.com/ buttervideo.