Do you ever read cookbooks just for fun? I do. I spend a lot of time perusing my beloved stash of cookbooks and drooling over the photos, making plans to incorporate them into my menus in the coming weeks. I especially love cookbooks with gorgeous photography and pretty, professional layouts, which may be why Isa Does It is a continual favorite on my coffee table.
This cauliflower pesto photo is one that I found my eyes returning to again and again, but for some reason, it took me a year and a half to actually make it! The idea of mixing cauliflower right into my pesto pasta both intrigued me and scared me a little. Why mess with my perfectly delightful pesto? But…it kind of looked amazing.
So, last night I took the plunge. I roasted the cauliflower (as per one of the optional notes in the recipe) and then I stirred it right in! The result: delicious. I really enjoyed the melding of flavors here, and so did my husband. I think the kids would have preferred them separately, but what did I expect?
As far as t
he pesto, I actually just made my own tried and true recipe. I also used a whole pound of pasta, which is double the amount called for, and I should definitely have upped the quantity of the pesto to match – I wanted more sauce! Instead of breading tofu as Isa suggests, we just had some marinated baked tofu on the side, along with some cherry tomatoes. I’m still healing from a broken ankle and cooking with the help of a knee scooter, so I shamelessly took some shortcuts here.
All that said, this was another winner from Isa Does It. I’ve yet to experience a miss from this awesome book!