Sprouted Almond Romesco Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Blistered Tomatoes
Serves: 4-6, about 3 cups romesco
 
Ingredients
for the pasta
  • 1 small or ½ large cauliflower - chopped into small florets
  • sea salt - to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper - to taste
  • 2 tablespoons melted neutral coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • about 8 oz baby spinach
  • 10 oz whole wheat pasta (I used sprouted strozzapreti)
  • about ½ portion romesco (recipe below)
  • 1 cup soaked/sprouted raw almonds (instructions below) or roasted almonds
  • fresh parsley - minced (optional)
  • handful fresh basil leaves - torn (optional)
for the romesco
  • 1 large or 2 small red bell peppers - seeded and cut into large chunks
  • 2 medium tomatoes - cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil - divided
  • sea salt - to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper - to taste
  • ½ cup soaked/sprouted raw almonds (instructions below) or roasted almonds
  • 1 chili pepper - seeded and sliced
  • 1 garlic head - separated into cloves and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • about 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
to make the pasta
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C).
  2. Place cauliflower in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, toss to coat. Spread on a parchment paper-covered baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender, stirring at half time. Remove from the oven, sprinkle smoked paprika over the florets and toss to coat. Set aside.
  3. To blister the tomatoes, increase the oven temperature to 450° F (230° C). Toss cherry tomatoes with ½ tablespoon oil, salt and pepper in a baking dish and cook for about 20 minutes, until and blistered and bursting. Stir at halftime. Set aside.
  4. Boil water for pasta. Warm the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a medium pan over medium heat, add spinach and toss until just wilted.
  5. Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water and place back into the same pot. Add ½ portion romesco and toss to combine.
  6. Add roasted cauliflower, blistered tomatoes, wilted spinach and almonds, toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed.
  7. Add herbs, if using, and serve right away alongside more romesco, if desired.
to make the romesco
  1. Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C).
  2. Line a shallow baking dish with parchment paper. Place bell pepper chunks and tomato halves into the dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer, tomatoes cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until peppers are completely cooked through and soft.
  3. Meanwhile, drain and rinse almonds.
  4. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chili and saute for about 2-3 minutes, until soft and golden in places. Remove into a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the chili oil in the pan, and set aside.
  5. Reduce heat to medium low. Add garlic slices and a pinch of salt to the pan, saute for 3-4 minutes, until garlic is golden. Remove from heat.
  6. Remove skins from the roasted tomato halves (it should come right off). Combine bell pepper, tomatoes and their juices, chili, almonds, garlic with all the oil, red wine vinegar and smoked paprika, if using, in a food processor. Pulse until the desired texture is achieved - you can make romesco smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.
  7. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley, if using. Pulse to combine. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust if needed. Keep airtight and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
to sprout the almonds (quoting Bremner Farms almond grower's instructions)
  1. Place the almonds in the glass jar with a large pinch of sea salt and enough filtered water to completely submerge them. Cover with a sprouting screen/cheesecloth and soak for a minimum of 8 hours. Rinse the nuts and repeat, soaking for another 8 hours. Drain the water and rinse again until the water runs clean.
  2. Place a strainer inside a small bowl. Flip the jar upside down into the strainer and place in a warm spot. Every 4 hours, rinse the almonds and then place the jar back in the strainer. Repeat this step again over the next 24-48 hours. It's fine to let the almonds soak for up to 8 hours while sleeping, but during waking hours change the water out every 4 hours. If you don't rinse the almonds, this can lead to mildew.
  3. Within that 24-48 hour period, you should start to see a tail erupt, however oftentimes it does not penetrate through the skin. This is where people think the process has failed. In a perfect world, the almond meat will swell up and the skin with retract revealing the tail. If you want to see the tail, pull back the skin to reveal it. On some occasions, the tail doesn't erupt through the meat at all - slice the almond in half lengthwise to see it.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/sprouted-almond-romesco-pasta-with-roasted-cauliflower-and-blistered-tomatoes/