Lemony tomato and cauliflower pasta


When it's noon and my breakfast of buckwheat porridge and smoothie is long forgotten, I start to think about lunch. Pasta is very often my go-to meal. It can also be healthy if you load it up with tons of veggies and beans. Like in this lemony tomato and cauliflower pasta. Over half of the ingredients is cauliflower, which is super high in vitamin C. Add beans for extra protein, lemon for that amazing delicate flavor and fragrance and you have a superb vegan lunch or dinner.

Cauliflower has been such a star in my kitchen this year! I have made many new cauliflower recipes and I've started to really appreciate this awesome vegetable. I also love to snack on a raw cauliflower or use it in different raw salads. It goes especially well with tomato.

But back to this pasta. It's a perfect weeknight meal coming together in only 20 minutes. You don't even have to drain the pasta noodles, they will cook in the delicious mixture of onions, water, cauliflower, lemon peel and tomato pasta. Pasta cooked this way has a great benefit besides being totally delicious - it will stay juicy for a long time. 


Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 Tbsp oil
  • 2 onions
  • 14 oz / 400 g cauliflower florets
  • 1 ½ cup / 250 g small pasta
  • 4 ¼ cups / 1 liter boiling water
  • 14 oz / 400 g canned beans 
  • 1 ½ - 2 tsp salt
  • 1 heaping Tbsp thinly chopped lemon peel
  • 9 oz / 250 g tomato sauce

Directions:

Heat up some oil in a thick-bottomed pot. Add chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add chopped cauliflower florets. Cook for a minute. Add pasta and boiling water. Cover the pot with a lid and let the pasta boil on a medium heat for about 10-12 minutes. Add drained and rinsed canned beans, salt, chopped lemon peel and tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the heat and let the pasta sit for 5 minutes before serving.