Best 4 Italian Romanesco Cauliflower Salad Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Italian Romanesco cauliflower salad is a vibrant and delicious dish that combines the unique flavor of Romanesco cauliflower with fresh herbs, tangy dressing, and a variety of other ingredients. This salad is a great way to showcase the beauty of Romanesco cauliflower, with its striking green florets and delicate flavor. It's also a healthy and refreshing dish that's perfect for summer gatherings or as a light lunch or dinner option.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

ITALIAN ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER SALAD



Italian Romanesco Cauliflower Salad image

This is a traditional salad from Naples, known as Insalata di Rinforzo, which is typically served at Christmas time. It's lovely and colorful as it uses cauliflower, lime green Romanesco and dark green broccoli and is jazzed up with olives and red pickled peppers. It is served with a lemon-based vinaigrette and sometimes anchovies and capers.

Provided by linacavezza

Categories     Salad     Vegetable Salad Recipes     Cauliflower

Time 45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 pounds broccoli, broken into florets
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 head Romanesco cauliflower, broken into florets
2 lemons, juiced
6 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 green Italian olives, or more to taste
10 black Italian olives, or more to taste
2 papaccelle (pickled sweet peppers), cut into strips

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook uncovered until just tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving water, and let cool.
  • Stir cauliflower into the boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving water, and let cool.
  • Stir Romanesco cauliflower into the boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool.
  • Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl to make dressing.
  • Layer broccoli, cauliflower, and Romanesco cauliflower on a round serving plate. Decorate each layer with green and black olives and strips of papaccelle. Pour dressing on top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 190.6 calories, Carbohydrate 16.6 g, Fat 12.9 g, Fiber 7.1 g, Protein 6.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 273.8 mg, Sugar 5.8 g

CAVATELLI WITH ROMAN CAULIFLOWER



Cavatelli With Roman Cauliflower image

Roman cauliflower (also known as Romanesco) grows as a peculiar spiky, conical head, and instead of florets as in regular cauliflower, it projects cones with tiny cones upon cones-a kind of fractal of nature's making. It comes in various hues of white, purple, and green and has a nutty, more intense flavor compared with regular cauliflower. Unfortunately it's not always easy to find in many stores in the US, though sources like farmers' markets often carry it, as do Italian specialty shops. You can substitute standard cauliflower for this if you can't find the Roman variety. It breaks into florets and cooks the same way.

Provided by Angelo Acquista

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 tablespoons salt
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 pound cavatelli
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

Steps:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the cauliflower to a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Cook for 3 minutes, then remove the cauliflower from the water. Retain the water.
  • Put half of the cauliflower into a blender along with 1 cup of the cooking water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Blend until it turns into a puree. This will be the sauce for your pasta. You may need to add more of the cooking water to reach the desired consistency (as loose as tomato puree).
  • Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. Saute for 1 minute.
  • Increase the heat to high and add the reserved cauliflower florets. Saute for 2 minutes while stirring.
  • Add the puree to the pan and saute for 30 to 40 seconds while stirring.
  • To the pot with the reserved cauliflower cooking water, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, return the water to a boil over high heat, and add the cavatelli. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente, 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, stir it into the pan with the sauce, and cook everything together for 30 seconds. Add a couple more tablespoons of the pasta cooking water for a looser consistency, if desired.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
  • Drizzle each serving with olive oil and serve with extra grated cheese for sprinkling.

ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER SALAD



Italian Cauliflower Salad image

Great side dish to serve with your Italian meal. I like the cauliflower crunchy but you can cook it longer to suit your taste.

Provided by Bergy

Categories     Cauliflower

Time 48m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 medium cauliflower, break into small floweretts
1/2 small onion, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
10 stuffed green olives, thinly sliced
1/4 tablespoon olive oil (Lite or Virgin)
2 tablespoons olive oil (Lite or Virgin)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 capers (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Put cauliflower in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes, remove and put in cold water for 30 minutes or more, Drain well before mixing with dressing.
  • In a bowl combine oil, lemon juice, capers, olives, onion, celery parsley, Salt& Pepper, mix well.
  • Add well drained cold cauliflower, Toss.
  • Place in serving dish& serve.

MARINATED ROMANESCO AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD



Marinated Romanesco and Cauliflower Salad image

A broccoli salad recipe I played with. Printed in First magazine, June 1998. You could also substitute broccoflower for the romanesco. References online describe the romanesco as looking like a cross between a wedding cake and a star fish! Similar to cauliflower and cooked in much the same way, but it has a nuttier flavor. Do give it a try! It's a shame to have to chop the romanesco up for this recipe! Another way to serve it is to steam the romanesco whole with just the lower stalk cut off and florets left intact. Talk about a presentation! Add a drizzle of lemon juice or butter; sprinkle of salt and pepper. Oh yes!

Provided by COOKGIRl

Categories     Vegetable

Time 3h15m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 tablespoons rice vinegar (seasoned or regular)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh gingerroot, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 lb romanesco, florets
3/4 lb cauliflower floret
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 red peppers (optional) or 1 -2 Thai peppers, seeded, minced (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Steps:

  • Prepare the dressing in a non-reactive bowl by whisking the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
  • Lightly blanch the romanesco and cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water, only until the romanesco is brightly colored. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
  • Transfer the blanched vegetables, carrots (and chilies if using) to a salad bowl and pour the salad dressing over them. Cover.
  • Best if salad is prepared several hours in advance to allow the vegetables to marinate.
  • *Important*: stir in the cilantro leaves just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 64.3, Fat 4.6, SaturatedFat 0.8, Sodium 225.3, Carbohydrate 5.4, Fiber 2.1, Sugar 2.3, Protein 1.4

Tips:

  • For the best flavor, use fresh, ripe Romanesco cauliflower.
  • If you can't find Romanesco cauliflower, you can substitute regular cauliflower.
  • To make the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth.
  • If you don't have any capers, you can substitute chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Serve the salad immediately or chill it for later.

Conclusion:

Romanesco cauliflower salad is a delicious and healthy side dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you serve it for a special dinner or a casual weeknight meal, this salad is sure to please everyone at the table.

Related Topics