Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Green Olives, and Almonds

I came across this great recipe a while back and at first was not sure how the ingredients would all come together.  We loved it so much that this recipe made its way into our regular rotation.

This recipe is enough for 4, or in our case dinner and lunch for 2:

1 1/4 cups pitted brine-cured green olives

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1 (2 1/2-pound) head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch-wide florets (8 cups)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Scant 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

1/4 cup water

3/4 pound dried spaghetti or linguine

1 ounce finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving

3/4 cup whole almonds with skin (3 3/4 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped

I decided to make homemade whole wheat spaghetti for this, but store bought is of course fine.  

Instead of using the pasta roller, I decided to try and make the spaghetti using the pasta extruder.  I'm still working on fine tuning my pasta making skills.  While the extruder seems easier than the roller, it never turns out quite as well.

With the extruder, you just break the dough into golf ball sized pieces.

Then run through the machine and cut at the desired length.

Not bad...

Once the pasta is made, it's time to work on the rest.  Drain and rinse the olives and place them in a the food processor.  Then give the parsley a rough chop and add to the bowl.

Give it a buzz.

Next, toast and chop the almonds.

And break up the cauliflower into florets.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook with salt until browned.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant and the the cauliflower is tender.

Next, add the water and boil for a minute.  Then add in the olive mixture and just cook to heat through.

Cook the pasta al dente, and drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

Mix everything together and add some pasta water if needed to round out the sauce.  Add the cheese, salt and pepper.  Drizzle over some olive oil to finish.

Voila.