Buon Giorno,

I love vegetables, and this time of year, one of my favorites is the cauliflower. There are so many uses for this wonderful cruciferous vegetable, other members of its family being broccoli, kale, and cabbage, but one of my favorites is this versatile sauce filled with cauliflower, butternut squash, and tomatoes. I thought it might be fun to share with you all a recipe that you can use in a variety of ways- typically I enjoy this sauce tossed with pasta, but here I give you another five   ways in which to use the leftover sauce. Make a big batch of sauce and try out one or all the recipes. I look forward to hearing what you think. Buon appetito!

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 plump garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion, thinly sliced (1 cup slices)
3 cups butternut squash, cut in ½” cubes
3 cups cauliflower, cut in small florets (about 1-inch)
4 tablespoons small capers, drained
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt or to taste plus more for cooking pasta
½ teaspoon peperoncino or to taste
2 cups (or a 28-ounce can) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand

Procedure
Pour the olive oil into the big skillet and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and let it start sizzling. Stir in the onion slices and cook for a couple of minutes to wilt. Spill in all the cut squash and cauliflower pieces, scatter the capers, salt and peperoncino on top and with tongs toss all together for a minute or so. Pour a cup of water into the skillet, cover tightly, and steam the vegetables for 2 or 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with a cup of water sloshed in the tomato containers. Stir well and cover; when the tomato juices are boiling adjust the heat to keep them bubbling gently. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are softened, uncover and continue cooking to reduce the pan juices to a good consistency for dressing the pasta, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and keep at a low simmer.

With Pasta:

Cook your favorite pasta until al dente and then add to the skillet with the vegetables with a bit of the pasta cooking water.  Finish cooking pasta and vegetables for a few minutes, over moderately high heat. To serve, sprinkle grated cheese atop the pasta.

For Breakfast:

Braise left over sauce or just made sauce, until most of the juice has evaporated.

Line individual ramekins with butter and then with bread crumbs

Fill with the braised vegetables and with a teaspoon, make a well in the center.

In each well break an egg, season with salt, top with more vegetables to seal egg in.

Cover lightly with breadcrumbs, and top with grated cheese. Seal with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 30 minutes, uncover the foil and cook another 10 minutes until crispy. Serve inverted on half a toasted whole wheat muffin, or serve as is with a spoon.

As an Appetizer:

Save any left over sauce, or make fresh sauce, and continue to cook slowly until most of the liquid has evaporated. When you are ready to serve drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and toss in a few shredded basil leaves. Spread the vegetables/topping on grilled slices of Italian bread, in bruschetta fashion. Or spoon on whole wheat crackers. For additional flavor you might want to top with toasted slices of almonds, toasted pumpkin seeds, or grated cheddar or Montasio Cheese.

In Soup:

Take all of the left over or cooked vegetables. For each cup of vegetables add one cup of hot stock or water. Process all in a blender until smooth and the consistency is smooth and somewhat fluid. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper for seasonings. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and bring all to a boil.

To serve, add one of these to reach desired density;

-Toasted Croutons

-Cooked rice

-Cooked small shaped pasta, like dittalini or orzo

Sprinkle some grated cheese and serve.

As an Entrée:

With Fish:

Bring vegetables to boil, leave a little on the soupy side; add 4 leaves of shredded mint.

Grill or pan sear fish of your choice to your liking. Spoon vegetables in a bowl and set grilled fish on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve.

With Chicken:

Bring vegetables to a boil, add 4-6 whole sage leaves; let the vegetables simmer and the water evaporate a bit. Sear or grill chicken breast to your liking. Spoon vegetables onto a plate, slice chicken breast and set on top of vegetables. Shred some Grana Padano cheese atop and serve.