Mama's Cauliflower Spaghetti

Last week, I made a recipe from my childhood that I haven't eaten in years. My mama was raised in an Italian neighborhood of New York, and she picked up lots of yummy recipes that I managed to learn through osmosis. It's a simple, vegetarian meal that I loved more and more the older I got.

Cauliflower Spaghetti:

1 large or two small heads of cauliflower
small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb. spaghetti (I used multi-grain)
olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse and divide the cauliflower into flowerets, place on a silpat-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil and put the pan in to roast (around 20-25 minutes. (If I'm in a hurry, I've also just boiled the cauliflower and pasta at the same time, veggie first, but roasted tastes better.)

While waiting for the cauliflower, fill a large stockpot with water, then add the salt and glug of oil; prepare pasta as directed. DO NOT overcook noodles. Next, in a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add one or two ladles of the pasta water to the skillet; drain the spaghetti and add pasta to the saute. Remove the roasted cauliflower and add to the pan, too. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and more olive oil if dry, and ENJOY!!