pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach

since i spend an inordinate amount of time reading food blogs, i'm always (subconsciously) aware of what is in season. perhaps that's why i came home from the grocery store the other day with a head of cauliflower, despite not having a clear recipe in mind. luckily, i had some roasted hazelnuts leftover from my quinoa flake breakfasts and a bag of baby spinach on hand. add in some garlic, onion, olive oil and throw it over pasta? you can't possibly go wrong with that.

pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach adapted from here

1 box (8 oz.) pasta
1 head cauliflower 
olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp)
salt
red pepper flakes
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup baby spinach
juice from 1 small lemon
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
parmigiano cheese

preheat oven to 425 degrees f. wash and chop your cauliflower into florets and arrange on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt and a shake of red pepper flakes. roast for about 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

while the cauliflower is roasting, cook pasta until al dente. drain and set aside.

meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-low heat. add in the onion slices, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until the onions become slightly caramelized and extremely soft. turn the heat up to medium-high and add the garlic, cook for about one minute. next, add in spinach, the roasted cauliflower, the pasta and some fresh lemon juice, stirring to combine all ingredients and allow the spinach to wilt.

remove the skillet from heat, add in the chopped hazelnuts and stir to combine. serve pasta in bowls and top with parmigiano cheese.