Pasta with Cauliflower-Tomato Sauce (Slow Cooker Friendly) & Crunchy Bread Crumbs

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Michele Scicolone, one of my favorite cookbook authors,
posted a Spicy Cauliflower Pasta Sauce made in
the slower cooker on her Facebook page a few days ago ~
it sounded interesting and I had the small head
of cauliflower on hand . . . I'm sure you can guess the rest!
As usual, I was compelled to change it a little to suit my
own taste, although you may like it just as Michele posted it.
It's healthful, low in fat and vegetarian friendly.
Plus it's easy on the budget.

I'll post Michele's way, plus my changes over on my recipe blog so you can make it the way you like.

Michele's original recipe calls for a small head of cauliflower, a large can of crushed tomatoes, water, olive oil, garlic, a little dried oregano, salt and red pepper flakes.
During the last few minutes I added some chopped, marinated artichoke hearts, and some brined capers. (I also had a bit of Trader Joe's Artichoke Tapenade left over so I stirred that in as well . . . you know, waste not - want not.) Since we're not so keen on really spicy food any longer, I cut the amount of red pepper flakes and only added the tiniest pinch. Perfect!

For the crumb topping : Bread crumbs, a little olive oil, anchovy fillets, and freshly ground black pepper. (Please don't let the
anchovies put you off ~ as they truly enhance this dish!)
If you don't have anchovies on hand (or cannot tolerate them), you can substitute fresh garlic and a little sea or kosher salt instead. But I prefer the anchovies, and I promise you, you'll barely notice their presence because they are cooked in a little olive oil until they nearly dissolve and the flavor mellows, enhancing the oil, then added to the crumbs and sauteed gently until the crumbs turn crisp and golden brown. Yum! This is an excellent condiment on other pasta dishes and steamed/sauteed vegetables or grilled chicken/fish, too. I always make extra and store in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to use and it keeps almost indefinitely in the fridge, even longer in the freezer.

I think it would be safe to say that you and those you cook for would probably have to favor rather assertive flavors to really enjoy this dish...
Kraft Mac and Cheese® it's not. ;)

I thought it was very good; quite low in fat (but not lacking flavor.)

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe,
please jump on over to my recipe blog
right here.

Thank you for stopping today ~
I love your comments!

~Mari :)