Sumptuous Italian cauliflower pasta

Today's Recipe: Penne alla Loredana (Penne or fusilli with cauliflower)

Now don't wrinkle your nose when you read 'cauliflower' -- actually, even with the simplicity of its ingredients this pasta tastes absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

Method

• Cut a medium-sized cauliflower into small florets. Place the florets in a pot with 3 litres of cold water and cook very well until the cauliflower is so soft that you can mash it with a spoon, softer than your regular boiled or steamed cauliflower.

• In a small pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add a small red chilli and 2 cloves of garlic. Fry on a slow fire until the garlic is golden, then discard the garlic. Add the bacon to the pan and fry for about 2 minutes.

• Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water. Strain, leaving a bit of water in the pasta. Add the cooked pasta with its water to the cauliflower, and cook together for a minute.

• Add the fried bacon with its oil, and grated Parmesan. Mix well, and leave to rest for 3-4 minutes, so that the pasta can absorb the flavours of the cheese, bacon and sauce. Buon appetito!

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Excerpted from Italian Khana, India's first Italian cookbook for the Indian kitchen, with permission from the publishers,Random House India. Ritu will also answer reader queries, so please address your questions to her in the QnA box below.