Pasta with Italian Sausage, Green Cauliflower, and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds green cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 pound pasta of your choice
• 1 pound Italian sausage (spicy or mild)
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (15oz)
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the green cauliflower into bite-sized florets and add them to the pot. Cook for about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cauliflower from the water and transfer it to a strainer to drain.
2. Bring the water back to a boil. Cook the pasta as instructed on the package, until al dente. Save 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
3. Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, for 3-5 minutes, until browned. (It doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet, it will cook more in the next steps.) Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 1 minute.
5. Add the cooked green cauliflower, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook over medium heat until the sausage is fully cooked and the cauliflower is tender, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together and cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce comes together. If needed, add more pasta water, a bit at a time, to keep it moist.
7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice until everything is well mixed. Serve in bowls and sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!