Another day, another glorious pasta recipe for you. This one is just sneaky good, y’all. I mean, the recipe name should let you know that it’s going to be good – in a very Ina Garten “how bad that that be?!” sort of way. Lemony Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas has a delicious ring to it, right? But it’s what’s hiding behind the curtain that makes this one shine.

Table of Contents

Yes, there’s more to this pasta than meets the eye, and you can jump right ahead to the recipe, or read on a little bit to witness me waxing on and on about how much I adore it. Up to you!

Lemony Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas

We’ve got loads of fantastic pasta recipes here on MKL – take your pick! Next to maybe wine, pasta is just about my favorite food group. So, there we go. I’ve added recipes here to accommodate my own cravings. But because I do want to, you know, watch my girlish figure and all of that, I have a few tricks I typically use that allow me to indulge in pasta more often (which is always a goal, right?)

It’s all about that ratio. I think the best pasta dishes are the ones where the pasta itself shares the stage with the vegetable (or protein). I’m talking about a 50/50 ratio here. I will only cook up about half a box of pasta at a time, for any given recipe, and then I load up the bowl/pan with the other stuff – which is usually vegetable-based. You can eat more this way, and in no way does this dilute your pasta-eating experience. Not one little bit.
Whole wheat pasta. It’s not going to really change things much for you, in the long-term landscape of your health and wellness. But I do think it’s good to weave additional fiber into your diet whenever and wherever possible, and whole wheat spaghetti can do that for you. Plus, it’s got this nutty, earthy flavor to it that’s pretty nice – especially with roasted cauliflower.
Alternative noods. There are about a million and one different healthy pasta varietals out there now, just ready and waiting to be twirled around your fork. From veggie infused strands to pasta that is made entirely of chickpeas – you can very easily and affordably swap out the classic stuff for something that might be more in line with a diet of some sort. I usually don’t do this, but I like the idea of it and someday I must might give it a try.

What you’ll need to make this pasta

The cast of characters here is humble yet mighty, each ingredient selected because it truly serves a purpose. Without each thing, the finished pasta simply wouldn’t have that je nais se quois …

SPOTLIGHT INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti – You can use any noodle you like here, let’s be honest. I like spaghetti, and my kids do, too. Plus I have a boat load of spaghetti from Costco that I’m working my way through. So, there we are. This would be great with short, fat rigatoni and even wide-laned pappardelle. Just use what you like. I’m bot bossy when it comes to pasta.

Anchovies – Okay, this is where I do tend to get a little bossy. I like to very enthusiastically encourage my friends and food family to give these little things a try. Your food isn’t going to reek of fish or anything like that. I mean, that sounds terrible and I also don’t want it. It was Rachael Ray who initially gave me the courage to try anchovies, and my food has been so much better for their salty, nutty depth of flavor. They will melt into your sauce, mingling with the oil and butter and lifting the whole dish into a place far greater than would be the case without them.

Olive oil – This is one of those times when I’ll suggest that you “finish with a drizzle of olive oil.” I think almost everything is made better for a drizzle of olive oil at the end, but especially this pasta. We will roast the veggies in olive oil and then also build the sauce itself with oil. So a third-act drizzle of pure, unadulterated EVOO at the end is a perfect way to gild these lilies. And by lilies, I mean noodles.

FULL INGREDIENT LIST

2 small heads cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-sized florets

14.5 to 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 pound spaghetti

3 tablespoons olive oil, and more as needed

2 shallots

3 anchovies, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable stock concentrate

3 garlic cloves, minced or grated

The zest and juice of 1 lemon (zest it before you cut it!)

4 ounce mascarpone or cream cheese (can also sub sour cream or plain Greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Big handful of fresh baby arugula for each serving

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the top position. Put the cauliflower and chickpeas on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, toss, and roast until browned and tender (about 20 to 25 minutes). Set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in very salty water (like the ocean), according to package directions. Save 1 cup of the starchy pasta water just before you drain it. Set aside both the cooked pasta and the starchy water.

Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large, deep-sided skillet. Add the shallots, anchovies, and Italian seasoning and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock concentrate and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute more. Add the reserved pasta water and the lemon juice and zest. Season lightly with salt and generously with lots of pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes to reduce.

Add the cooked pasta (as much or as little as you like, saving any leftover), and the mascarpone/cream cheese and butter. Toss to coat and mix everything together. Add the cauliflower and chickpeas and shower with parmesan. Scatter some peppery arugula over top before serving and, if you like, finish with a nice drizzle of olive oil.