Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch florets
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, halved, white and light green parts thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
• 8 ounces short pasta such as campanelle, orecchiette, conchiglie, farfalle, or fusilli
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 6 ounces Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled, at room temperature
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme to the cauliflower on the sheet pan,
then roast another 20 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through, until they are very tender and deeply caramelized.

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is 1 minute shy of being al dente. (It will continue to cook in the residual heat of the pot.) Scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water (a coffee mug is good for this), then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the empty pot, along with the butter, Gorgonzola, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/2 cup of pasta water, stirring to melt the cheese.

Step 4

Toss the roasted vegetables into the pasta, then stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta water if the mixture looks dry. To serve, spoon into bowls and top with chives and a sprinkle of thyme leaves.