Pastina Salad with Roasted Cauliflower, Rapini and Creamy Cashew Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 side servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Oven-Roasted Cauliflower:
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut in small florets
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- Dashes of smoked paprika
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 head of rapini, trimmed
- 1 cup round pastina
- 1 shallot, minced
- 5–10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
For the Creamy Cashew Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
- 1/2 small lemon, juiced
- 10 large leaves of fresh basil
- 5 leaves of fresh mint
- 5–6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mayo or soft tofu (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat over to 400˚. Put the cauliflower florets and the garlic in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with olive oil, add the thyme, rosemary sprigs, and smoked paprika. Give it a quick stir and put it in the oven for 20 minutes, then stir and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Incorporate all the ingredients of the vinaigrette in a mini food processor or blender. Mix until the dressing has a nice creamy consistency.
Cook the pastina al dente according to package instructions. Steam the rapini for about 10 minutes until tender, then drain the excess water by pressing them into a clean kitchen towel. Cut them in small pieces. In a large bowl, add the rapini, pastina, shallots, cherry tomatoes, and roasted cauliflower. Dress the mix with the creamy cashew vinaigrette and add a little more olive oil into the mix. Plate, add the sliced avocado and some toasted pine nuts. Bon appétit!
Keywords: pastina, cauliflower, rapini, cashew