Ingredients:
- 12 oz of mushrooms of your choosing
- 1 medium-large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 lb. of rigatoni
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. of extra- virgin olive oil (additional for garnish)
- 4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
- ½ tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. of rosemary
- 1/3 cup of tomato paste
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 oz. of grated parmesan (or vegan substitute), more for garnish
- 3 Tbsp. of chopped parsley
- ½ lemon
Finely chop your mushrooms, or pulse in a food processor, transferring to a small bowl.
Clean out your food processor and add in the cauliflower florets (it should take about three tries), pulsing until the cauliflower is the size of rice.
Divide your butter into pieces that would easily melt and add half of it, along with ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the onion and remainder of the olive oil and cook until the onion is tender (about 7 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Once vegetables are browned, add the garlic, pepper flakes, and rosemary and cook until the garlic is softened (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato paste, stirring constantly, until the paste is darkened (about 2 minutes), then add the cauliflower, stirring occasionally. Cook the mixture until the cauliflower is cooked down (about 7 minutes).
Season mixture with salt and keep warm over a low heat.
Cook your rigatoni in in a large pot of salted, boiling water until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta into your pot of sauce. Add your parmesan, remaining butter, and 1 cup of the pasta liquid to the sauce and cook at medium heat until the sauce is clinging to the pasta (about 3 minutes).
Add parsley and salt to taste, then finely zest your lemon, tossing ingredients one more time. Remove from heat and add additional parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil if needed when serving.