We love romanesco and pick it up any time we see it. This simple cooking method shows this veg off at its best.
Romanesco – serves 4 as a side
a large head of Romanesco broccoli, snap off any big or bruised leaves, trim the end of the stem and cut a cross at the base
6-8 tbsp best extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
a few shavings of Parmesan or Pecorino
Bring a pan of very salty water to the boil.
Put the whole head into the boiling water and simmer for about 12 minutes or until tender but not breaking up. Remove from the water and allow to steam dry for a few minutes, then put onto a plate and douse with the olive oil.
Season with pepper, scatter with parsley and cheese, and serve.
(Original recipe from Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kennedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
Romanesco cauliflower is a vegetable that we can’t resist picking up when we see it. It’s flavour really shines in this simple pasta recipe. It is very important to cook the romanesco until completely soft (you will be crushing it later with your wooden spoon), there is no place for al dente in this recipe!
Wine Suggestion: This is best served with a joyful white, and while we initially thought about an Italian Pecorino from the Marches instead went for Domaine Ventenac’s Colombard Vermentino, which is quite simply summer in a glass.
Pasta and Romanesco – serves 4
1 large head of romanesco cauliflower, discard the stalk and break into small florets
6 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife and left whole
1 red chilli or 1 dried red chilli, chopped, or a pinch of chilli flakes
400g penne pasta (or similar)
30g grated pecorino, plus extra to serve
Cook the romanesco in a very large pan of boiling salty water for 6-8 minutes or until completely soft. Scoop the florets out with a slotted spoon into a colandar.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and chilli and cook gently until golden, take care not to let it go brown or it will be bitter. Discard the garlic clove.
Cook the pasta in the water used to cook the romanesco.
While the pasta cooks, tip the romanesco into the olive oil and toss to coat in the oil. Season with salt, then crush the florets gently with a wooden spoon so they break up. Scoop the pasta out of the cooking water with a slotted spoon straight into the frying pan. Add the pecorino and stir to mix everything together.
Serve with extra pecorino.
(Original recipe from Five Quarters by Rachel Roddy, Saltyard Books, 2015.)
Romanesco has a short season so it’s a grab it when you can sort of vegetable. This means we usually just steam it but we came across this veggie curry recipe by Tom Kerridge and it was the perfect weeknight bowl of goodness.
Wine Suggestion: This works with lighter whites like the La Piuma Pecorino from Italy, but can see it working with so many other whites. Balanced, easy fruit, medium bodied and with enough texture, like Italian whites tend to have, except for Pinot Grigio.
Romanesco, corn and coconut curry – serves 4
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
500g romanesco, cut into florets
300ml vegetable stock
400ml coconut milk
350g tin sweetcorn, drained
200g frozen peas
a handful of coriander, chopped
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
cooked rice, to serve
FOR THE FRIED PANEER:
225g paneer, cut into cubes
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for a few seconds, then add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down, then add the ground spices and stir for 1 minute, then add the romanesco and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in the veg stock and half the coconut milk and cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the paneer. Put it into a bowl and mix with the turmeric and salt. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the paneer and cook until browned, 5-8 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Add the rest of the coconut milk to the romanesco and stir in the sweetcorn, peas, fried paneer and half the coriander. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve scattered with the chilli and the rest of the coriander.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2018.)
This is a lovely side dish and it was hard not to eat all the roasted Romanesco before it got to the plate. Then you add garlicky tahini sauce and pomegranate seeds … delicious!
We just love the fractal patterened shape of these too. We’ve recently discovered that pomegranate seeds freeze well. Dry them well and spread them over a tray lined with paper, transfer to a bag or tub when frozen.
Roast Romanesco Cauliflower with Tahini and Pomegranates – serves 4
2 heads of Romanesco cauliflower, cut into florets
4 tbsp light olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
FOR THE SAUCE:
75g tahini
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Heat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 6.
Spread the florets out over a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin and allspice. Season with plenty of salt and pepper then toss well to coat.
Roast for 20-30 minutes in the hot oven until tender but firm, give them a toss half way through, then remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
To make the tahini sauce mix the tahini, lemon juice and garlic with 100ml of water in a bowl, until smooth and runny.
Put the tahini onto a serving platter, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds.
(Original recipe from Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2018.)
A side dish from Lazio that celebrates the unique and delicious Romanesco Cauliflower. We never cease to be amazed at the shape of these and the flavour is delicious and enhanced by the simple additions.
Romanesco and Parmesan – to serve 4
large head of Romanesco broccoli
6-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
a few shavings of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
You should cook the Romanesco in really salty water which will season it as it cooks and preserve the delicate flavour.
Snap off any large or bruised leaves from the outside of the broccoli, but leave any small ones attached. Trim off the end of the stem, to where the leaves start. Cut a cross in the base of the stem.
Boil the whole broccoli head until completely tender, about 12 minutes. Lift it out of the water and let it steam dry for a few minutes, then put it in a large dish, break into florets, and douse with olive oil.
Season with pepper (you shouldn’t need salt if you’ve used enough salt in the cooking water), scatter with parsley and cheese, and serve.
(Original recipe from Jacob Kenedy’s Bocca Cookbook, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
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