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Pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati is Palermo’s cauliflower pasta. The vegetable is boiled until soft, then stirred (arriminati) in a pan with onion, anchovy, raisins, pine nuts and saffron until it breaks into a coarse, golden sauce that coats bucatini. It takes 45 minutes.
The cooking water does double duty. You boil the cauliflower first, then cook the pasta in the same pot, so the starch and vegetable flavor carry into the noodles.
Timing matters here. Lift the cauliflower out at 7 minutes, when a knife slides in with slight resistance. Past 10 minutes it turns gray and mushy before it reaches the pan.
Raisins and anchovy sound like an odd pair, but this is the Sicilian balance: sweet against salty. The pine nuts and toasted breadcrumbs (muddica) add crunch where the sauce is soft.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Weeknight dinner from one cauliflower and pantry staples
- The cauliflower water cooks the pasta, so nothing is wasted
- Sweet raisins, salty anchovy and crisp muddica in every forkful
- The sauce freezes well, so you can batch it ahead
Ingredient Notes
- cauliflower: Use a firm white head with tight florets. Purple or green Sicilian cauliflower works the same way and gives a slightly nuttier sauce.
- anchovy fillets: Oil-packed fillets melt into the onion and season the sauce without tasting fishy. Salt-packed ones need rinsing and boning first.
- saffron: Steep the threads in hot water for at least 10 minutes so the color and aroma spread evenly. Skip ground turmeric, which tastes earthy and changes the dish.
- bucatini: The hollow strands hold the crushed cauliflower well. Spaghetti, ziti broken into pieces, or rigatoni are fine substitutes.
- breadcrumbs: Pulse day-old bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor. Fine store-bought crumbs work but toast faster, so watch them closely.
- pecorino: In Palermo the toasted muddica often stands in for cheese. A little grated pecorino adds sharpness, and you can leave it out.
Palermo Cauliflower Pasta (Pasta chi Vruoccoli Arriminati)
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot (24 cm / 9.5-inch) with 4 L water, add 30 g coarse salt, and bring to a boil. While it heats, cut the cauliflower into florets about 3 cm / 1.25 inches wide, stir the saffron into 60 ml hot water, and soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Warm 4 tbsp olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch deep skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sliced onion with a pinch of salt for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and pale gold. Add the anchovies and stir for 2 minutes until they dissolve, then add the pine nuts and drained raisins and cook 1 minute more.
- Boil the cauliflower in the pot for 7 minutes, until a knife slides in with slight resistance. Lift the florets out with a spider or slotted spoon straight into the skillet, add the saffron water, and keep the pot at a boil.
- Raise the skillet heat to medium and cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes, crushing about half of the florets against the pan with the back of a wooden spoon until they form a coarse, golden sauce with some pieces left whole. Meanwhile, drop the bucatini into the boiling pot and cook it 1 minute short of the package time, usually 8 to 9 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, toast the breadcrumbs in 1 tbsp olive oil in a 20 cm / 8-inch skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until deep golden. Tip them onto a plate.
- Scoop out 250 ml pasta water, then drain the bucatini and add it to the sauce. Toss over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water 2 tbsp at a time, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the strands. Stir in the pecorino and black pepper, taste for salt, and serve straight away topped with the breadcrumbs.
Notes
- Keep the cauliflower water. It cooks the pasta and seasons the sauce.
- Toast the breadcrumbs separately and add them at the table so they stay crisp.
- Soak the raisins for 10 minutes so they plump instead of scorching in the pan.
- Season lightly until the end, since the anchovies and pecorino both add salt.
Tips for Success
- Lift the cauliflower out at 7 minutes, when a knife slides in with slight resistance, since it keeps softening in the skillet.
- Cook the pasta in the same cauliflower water without topping it up, because that starch and vegetable flavor helps the sauce cling.
- Soften the onion for a full 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat until pale gold, since browned onion turns bitter against the raisins.
- Toast the breadcrumbs separately in oil and stir constantly, because they go from deep golden to scorched in about 30 seconds.
- Add the reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time while tossing until the sauce looks glossy and loose, neither dry nor soupy.
Variations
- Add a pinch of chili flakes with the anchovies for gentle heat, which Sicilian cooks often do for a sharper edge.
- Make it vegan by skipping the anchovies and pecorino, and cooking 1 tbsp rinsed, chopped capers with the onion.
- Swap in purple or green Sicilian cauliflower, or romanesco, and keep the 7 minute boil so the florets hold their shape.
Storage and Reheating
Pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking, and store the breadcrumbs separately in a jar at room temperature, where they stay crisp for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a 26 cm / 10-inch skillet over medium heat with 2 to 3 tbsp water, stirring for 4 to 5 minutes until steaming hot throughout. Add the breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil after plating. A microwave at 70 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway, also works, though the pasta ends up softer.
The sauce alone freezes for up to 2 months. Freeze it without the breadcrumbs, thaw overnight in the fridge, and toss it with freshly cooked pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati straight from the skillet in warm shallow bowls, with the toasted breadcrumbs scattered on top at the table. A drizzle of good olive oil and a grind of black pepper finish it.
An orange and fennel salad with a sharp lemon dressing is the classic Sicilian side. Its acidity cuts through the olive oil and pine nuts.
For a drink, pour a dry Sicilian white such as Grillo or Etna Bianco. Put extra pecorino and a lemon wedge on the table for anyone who wants more brightness.
FAQ
Why is my pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati gray and mushy?
Gray, mushy cauliflower means it boiled past about 10 minutes. Lift it out at 7 minutes, when a knife slides in with slight resistance. The saffron water and 5 minutes in the skillet with the onion and anchovy base give it the golden color, so the pot only needs to soften it.
Can I use frozen cauliflower for Palermo cauliflower pasta?
Yes, frozen cauliflower works, but it’s softer and wetter than fresh. Boil the florets 4 to 5 minutes straight from the freezer instead of 7, then simmer them in the skillet 1 to 2 minutes longer so the extra water cooks off. Expect a looser, more paste-like sauce with less texture.
Can I freeze the cauliflower sauce for pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati?
Yes, freeze the sauce without the pasta or breadcrumbs for up to 2 months in a sealed container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, warm it in a skillet with a splash of water, and toss with freshly cooked bucatini. Cooked pasta turns soft and mealy after freezing, so cook it fresh.
What wine goes with cauliflower pasta with anchovy and raisins?
A dry, mineral Sicilian white such as Grillo or Etna Bianco matches the saffron and anchovy without fighting the raisins. For a side, an orange and fennel salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the richness of the olive oil and pine nuts.
How do I make pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati vegan?
Leave out the anchovies and pecorino, then add 1 tbsp rinsed, chopped capers with the onion for the salty note. Use an extra 10 g of breadcrumbs in place of the cheese. Dried bucatini and spaghetti are usually just durum wheat and water, but check the label for egg.
What does arriminati mean in pasta chi vruoccoli arriminati?
Arriminati is Sicilian for stirred or mixed together. In Palermo, vruoccoli means cauliflower, so the name describes cauliflower stirred through pasta until it breaks into a sauce. It’s also written pasta con i broccoli arriminati, and it shouldn’t be confused with pasta made with green broccoli.