Pasta with Cauliflower and Hazelnuts

¾ pound short pasta

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into medium sized chunks

½ cup hazelnuts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

5 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 head of parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the cauliflower with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until the cauliflower browns, about 20-30 minutes.

When the cauliflower is almost done, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Boil the pasta until it is al dente, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a hot pan big enough to hold all of the pasta, add the hazelnuts.  When they are golden and fragrant, remove them from the pan, and add the rest of the olive oil, along with the garlic and red pepper flakes.  When the garlic is fragrant, add the cauliflower, straight off the roasting pan, along with the stock, the pasta and a few splashes of pasta cooking water.  When the sauce starts to thicken, add the hazelnuts, parsley and parmesan cheese, toss together, and serve with more cheese on the table.

 Serves two with leftovers.