Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Spirals

An absolute family favorite that is requested again and again. Enjoy this deliciously crisp, vegetable and Chickapea pasta dish loaded with flavor. The tender roasted cauliflower is mixed with sweet red onion, fresh baby spinach and nutritious Chickapea pasta and is topped with a flavorful lemon mustard dressing. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan and nut-free and is a wonderful meal idea any day of the week.

Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Spirals

  • Prep Time:  10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 
  • Course: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Canadian
  • Servings:  6

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard, prepared
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper

Ingredients:

  • 1 Package Chickapea Spirals
  • 2 Tbsp table salt (for boiling pasta)
  • 2 heads of cauliflower, washed and cut into bite sized florets
  • ¼ cup avocado oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp flaked salt or sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp minced dehydrated garlic
  • 6 cups fresh baby spinach
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely sliced

Dressing Instructions:

  1. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the dressing to be drizzled over the whole dish
  2. In a small bowl mix together all of the dressing ingredients
  3. Set the dressing aside once mixed

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
  2. Add the clean and trimmed cauliflower florets to a medium bowl 
  3. Pour avocado oil over the cauliflower and mix well to coat
  4. Sprinkle in minced garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tsp of flaked salt and pepper
  5. Toss the cauliflower thoroughly in the seasoning
  6. Transfer the cauliflower to a lined baking tray and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cauliflower becomes golden brown, toss the cauliflower half way through the baking time to ensure it cooks evenly
  7. Meanwhile, prepare Chickapea penne to package specifications (heat 16 cups of water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and 2 Tbsp of salt to the water, decrease the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Stir and cook the pasta for 7 minutes)
  8. Drain the pasta and rinse with warm water
  9. Transfer the pasta into the large bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil, minced dehydrated garlic and Italian seasoning 
  10. When the cauliflower is done baking remove it from the oven and add it to the noodles
  11. Stir in the baby spinach and red onion
  12. Drizzle in all, (or desired amount of), dressing and stir the dish well to evenly coat the noodles
  13. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

  • Coating the freshly cooked noodles with oil and seasoning before adding the other ingredients will help to ensure a more flavourful meal
  • Fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended for the dressing 
  • This meal can be served warm or at room temperature
  • This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups
  • The dressing can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week in the refrigerator