Fettuciini with Napa Cabbage and Cauliflower

Fettuccini with Napa Cabbage and Cauliflower

Isn't that a gorgeous color of cauliflower?  Thanksgiving Farm (where we pick up our vegetables every week through a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, farm) has been growing the Green Mist variety this fall and I love them!  Of course the white variety works just as well.  If you can believe it, even my 5 year old LOVES cauliflower, especially roasted.  I've used it here it this absolute favorite of a recipe I created after enjoying something similar at a favorite restaurant of ours in Salt Lake City, called Lugano.  Last week I took this dish over to a friend, who had a new baby.  She texted me an hour later to say it was the best homemade pasta she'd ever had!...and she wanted the recipe.

1 lb. fettuccini (De Cecco brand is definitely my FAVORITE)
1 lb. quality bacon, sliced across the grain into 1/4 inch pieces
1 small head cauliflower, cut into medium, bite sized pieces
1/2 head Napa cabbage, cut head lengthwise first and then sliced into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable bouillon granules
handful of fresh parsley chopped or 1 tablespoon dried
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano

First, slice block of bacon across the grain into 1/4 inch pieces.  Saute bacon in heavy skillet with 1/2 cup water until crisp.  Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside in a small bowl.  Add olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and chicken bouillon granules and parsley to bacon drippings and sauté on low for 1 minute.   When bacon is cool, crush bacon into tiny pieces with your fingers.  Place cauliflower and cabbage into a large prep bowl.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add some olive oil and salt.  Boil pasta until 3-4 minutes remain.  Add cauliflower and cabbage to the pot of pasta and continue to boil until pasta is done.  Drain pasta and vegetable mixture and return to pot.  Add garlic mixture, crushed bacon, some additional fresh parsley and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and toss well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour pasta into large pasta bowl and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.  Pass extra cheese around the table.  Serve with plenty of crusty bread.  Ohh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!