For better or worse, 2016 is coming to an end.  I know I’ve been feeling all the feels lately, but I’ll keep things nice and cozy here with some pasta featuring the year’s most popular vegetable, cauliflower– which has been everywhere and everything.  I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I haven’t tried cauliflower in any of its more trendy, experimental forms, but plan to remedy that soon with these buffalo wings, this pizza, and these steaks with romesco sauce.  Yep, cauliflower is one intriguing, can-do brassica oleracea.  Here, its mellow sweetness is complemented by garlic, kalamata olives, toasted almonds, and aromatic fresh oregano.
*I’ve been so excited that my local nataural foods store started carrying gluten free farfalle.  If you buy/eat gluten free pasta with any frequency you know that gluten free bowties are something of a unicorn. Jovial also makes gluten free casarecce and manicotti (!).  Get it.

12 oz pasta (farfalle, penne, fusilli, etc.)
olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed, cored, and cut into bite size chunks
1 cup vegetable broth
2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves only, chopped
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
• Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large pan/wok.  Add garlic and a pinch of red pepper and cook over medium heat, agitating frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
• Stir in cauliflower and then the broth.  Cover, turn up heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until “crips tender.”  Stir in oregano and olives.
• Add pasta to the pan, season with salt and pepper and, if desired, drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Sprinkle on toasted almonds and serve.

Yield: About 5 servings