Cauliflower Puttanesca with Eggplants

Although the good weather may be starting to show, there are hot dishes that are wonderful all year round. This is the case of the delicious cauliflower puttanesca with eggplants. Besides being a very nutritious recipe, I assure you it's finger-licking good. Or you won't be able to stop dunking bread!

The combination of ingredients is wonderful and gives us a very interesting way to prepare cauliflower differently, leaving behind the most common methods, such as steaming or boiling.

Cooking it with the eggplants, the onion and the different tomatoes, adding the flavor touch of anchovies, olives and capers, transforms this humble vegetable into the star of a dish that, accompanied by all the luxurious supporting ingredients mentioned, becomes a recipe worthy of the best award.

Don't fail to make this cauliflower puttanesca with eggplants that I bring you today, whether it's cold or hot. I promise you'll enjoy it a lot. And don't forget the bread to go with it, it's almost mandatory!

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (cut into cubes of about 3 cm)
• 1 large head of cauliflower or 2 small ones, cut into pieces or florets
• 400 g fresh Baby Rosa tomatoes
• 500 g fresh Roma tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
• 100 g pitted black olives
• 90 g marinated or oil-packed sun-dried cherry tomatoes
• 50 ml of the marinade or oil from the sun-dried cherry tomatoes
• 6-8 anchovies, cut into medium pieces
• 50 g capers
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano
• EVOO
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crispy ciabatta to accompany

Preparation

1. Heat your cast iron skillet with wooden handle Le Creuset over medium heat with EVOO. For the amount of ingredients indicated, you will need the large skillet, 28 cm.
2. When it's ready, fry the eggplant cubes until golden on all sides. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove them from the skillet. Set aside.
3. Add a little more EVOO to the skillet and when it's hot fry the cauliflower the same way. Season to taste, remove and set aside.
4. Put a little more EVOO in the skillet if needed and add the tomatoes, the onion, the garlic cloves, the olives, the chopped anchovies, the sun-dried tomatoes, the marinade and the oregano sprigs. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt (no need to add much, as the anchovies and olives will provide the salty note).
5. Let the vegetables cook in the skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until you see they are tender and soft. A thick sauce should form.
6. When you reach that thick sauce point, add the eggplant cubes, cauliflower, and capers to the pan, and cook the Set over low heat until the cauliflower is tender or to the doneness you like best.
7. As soon as it's ready, serve it hot straight from the skillet, accompanied by a good crispy ciabatta and enjoy.

Note

• You can substitute the tomato varieties listed in the ingredients with whatever you find at the market, as long as they are sweet and firm.
• To round out each bite, I suggest lightly toasting the bread slices and rubbing them with a garlic clove. Place some puttanesca on the slice and you'll see how wonderful it is!
• As you already know, and as I always tell you, you can personalize the recipe to your taste. If you don't have fresh oregano, you can use dried. Another option is basil or thyme, for example. You can also swap the eggplant for zucchini, or use both. Or add a splash of white wine to the tomatoes when they start to be ready and before adding the eggplants and cauliflower. You will just need to raise the heat a bit until the alcohol evaporates and then continue the recipe from step 6.