Ingredients:

·         1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

·         3 tablespoons capers

·         ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

·         ¼ teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

·         1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (I like Foodland’s house-made Calabrese sausage)

·         Zest and juice of of 1 lemon

·         1/2 pound pasta (my favorite is Maika’i Fusilli)

·         Optional additions: Parmesan cheese; Toasted pine nuts; Flat leaf parsley

Directions:

·         Preheat oven to 425F.

·         Spread the cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper. 

·         Toss cauliflower with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast, tossing every 10 minutes until nicely browned (about 30 minutes).  Remove from oven and set aside.

·         Finely chop the remaining 1 tablespoon of capers and place in a small bowl. Add zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil; set aside. 

·         Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces and cooking until nicely browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the fat behind. Shut off the stove.

·         Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon salt and ½ pound pasta.  Cook until al dente (start checking it at 2 mins shorter than instructions on package).  Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid.

·         Add the pasta to the skillet and heat on low.  Add the lemon juice and half of the reserved pasta water.  Stir until the pasta is well coated, adding more water if needed to make a light sauce.  Stir in the chopped caper/lemon zest mixture, then add the cooked sausage and cauliflower to heat through, adding any remaining pasta water if desired.

·         Place in a bowl, adding the optional Parmesan and parsley for garnish if you wish, and serve.