Cauliflower With Pine Nuts and Bacon

Cauliflower, first boiled briefly, then sautéed with toasted pine nuts, bacon or pancetta, garlic, lemon juice and chile pepper flakes.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon
Elise Bauer

Cauliflower lovers unite! I'm always looking for ways to dress up my favorite white vegetable.

Here's a quickie, inspired by Southern Italian flavors. A little bacon (or pancetta), some roasted pine nuts, some garlic (of course), oregano, and red pepper flakes, and your cauliflower is ready for a debutante ball. Or a midweek meal. Enjoy!

Cauliflower With Pine Nuts and Bacon

Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets (see How to Cut and Core Cauliflower)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, cut into batons
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Lemon juice to taste

Method

  1. Boil cauliflower in salted water:

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  2. Toast pine nuts:

    While the water is heating, toast the pine nuts in a dry sauté pan until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them, as pine nuts go from toasted to burnt quickly. Set the pine nuts aside when they are toasted.

  3. Fry bacon:

    Add the bacon to the pan and fry gently over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside with the pine nuts.

  4. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute on medium-high heat, then add the cauliflower, pine nuts, bacon, oregano and red pepper flakes:

    Toss to combine and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Do not let the garlic burn.

  5. Turn off the heat and add salt and lemon juice to taste

Links:

Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn - from 101 Cookbooks

Twice-Baked Cauliflower - from Kalyn's Kitchen

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon
Elise Bauer