Cauliflower Sauce with Garlic, Oil and Chili Pepper

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen

serves 4-6

1 head cauliflower, about 1 1/2 lbs.
1/2 c olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
6 flat anchovy fillets chopped fine
red chili pepper to taste
salt
2 Tb parsley chopped
1 lb penne

1. Strip the cauliflower of all its leaves except for a few of the very tender inner ones. Rinse it in cold water and cut it in two.

2. Bring 4-5 quarts of water to boil, put in the cauliflower, and cook it until it is tender, but not mushy, about 25-30 minutes. Prod it with a fork to test doneness. When cooked, drain and set aside.

3. Put water in a saucepan, and bring it to a lively simmer.

4. Put the oil and garlic in a medium saute pan, turn on the heat to medium, and cook until the garlic becomes colored a light, golden brown. Remove the pan from the burner, place it over the saucepan of simmering water, and add to it the chopped anchovies. Cook, stirring and mashing the anchovies with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the pan to dissolve them as much as possible into a paste. Return the saute pan to the burner over medium heat and cook for another half minute, stirring frequently.

5. Add the drained, boiled cauliflower, breaking it up quickly with a fork into pieces not bigger than a small nut. Turn it thoroughly in the oil to coat it well, mashing some of it to a pulp with the back of the spoon.

6. Add the chopped chili pepper and salt. Turn up the heat, and cook for a few minutes more, stirring frequently.

7. Toss with cooked drained pasta. Add the chopped parsley, toss once or twice again, then serve immediately.