Romanesco and Penne Pasta

This must be one of my new favorite dishes. The balance of flavors between the lemon and red pepper was just right. The recipe here is how I made it, adapted from Rachael Ray's Romanesco and Rigatoni recipe.

Romanesco and Penne Pasta

Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 the head of spring garlic, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 large spring onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
grated lemon peel from 1 and 1/2 lemons
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 head of Romanesco cut into bite-sized florets
Penne Pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta cooking water. I dribble in a little olive oil to the cooked pasta to prevent sticking.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. If you add a dab of olive oil, it will keep the butter from burning. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until golden for 6 or 7 min.

Stir in the wine for 1 minute scraping up any bits from the pan, then stir in the stock. Add the romanesco, lemon peel, rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. If it needs liquid, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water.

In a serving bowl, toss the pasta, reserved pasta cooking water and cheese, then the cooked vegetables.


The dish was divine the evening it was cooked. Many dishes taste even better the second day, but this dish I preferred the first day when the flavors were distinct and complimentary. When reheated, it was still above par, but the flavors had melded together into one.