Instructions: Fill a large pot with water and season lightly with salt. Bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, place a large saute pan over medium heat. Heat olive oil until it shimmers, and add garlic and chili pepper. Cook for 1 minute.

Add cauliflower, season generously with salt, and toss to coat with oil.

Saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing them in your fist as you add them.

Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and continue simmering for 10 more minutes.

When water comes to a boil, add penne and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. While pasta is cooking, add cream to cauliflower mixture and bring to a simmer. Drain pasta and add to cauliflower in pan. Toss well and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

PHO
Makes 6 servings

Vietnamese beef noodle soup can be cooked piecemeal and put together just before serving. The part that takes the longest, the stock, can be made ahead.

You can cook the beef in the soup as this recipe directs, or, as the Vietnamese do, thinly slice the meat and add it raw to individual bowls, letting it cook in the steaming broth just before serving.

1 small onion, peeled and cut into fourths 1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 pounds beef bones
6 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, lean, tender beef (brisket, sirloin or filet mignon)

1 (16-ounce)

package dry, flat rice noodles (pho)

Vegetable platter:
20 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)

2 cups fresh bean sprouts (see note)

12 sprigs fresh basil (about 2 bunches)

2 small fresh red or green chilies, stemmed, seeded and sliced thinly (see note)

1 lime or lemon, quartered
12 sprigs ngo gai (saw-leaf herb; optional)

Optional seasonings:
Bottled fish sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sambal oelek (Chinese chile paste with garlic)

Preheat the broiler. Broil the onion and ginger, turning so all sides are charred. Remove from the heat. (Alternatively, use tongs to hold the onion and ginger directly over a high heat until charred all over.) Using the side of a chefs knife, smash the ginger; set aside.

Meanwhile, place the bones in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Immediately pour off and discard the water. Add 12 cups fresh water and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that forms. Stir in the broiled onion and ginger along with star anise, cinnamon, salt and sugar.

If you want to cook the brisket before completing the stock, add it now. If you want to cook the brisket when it is served, freeze the meat until it is firm enough to slice paper-thin; set slices aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer stock, uncovered, for 2 hours (or longer).

With slotted spoon, remove the bones, onion, ginger, star anise and cinnamon and discard. If brisket was added while stock simmered, remove and slice thinly; set aside.

In a medium bowl, soak the noodles in cold water to cover for 10 minutes or until pliable. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in separate large stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the drained noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 7 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water; set aside.

Bring broth to a boil.

To serve, divide the noodles evenly among large individual serving bowls. Add the cooked brisket or the thinly sliced raw beef on top of the noodles. Pour enough boiling hot broth over each bowl of noodles to cover. Set aside for a few minutes until the broth has cooked the thinly sliced beef. The heat of the broth should be enough to cook the meat.

Serve each bowl accompanied with a plate of cilantro sprigs, bean sprouts, basil leaves, chilies, lime wedges and ngo gai; offer fish sauce, hoisin sauce and chile sauce. Allow each person to garnish his or her bowl as desired.

Note: Raw sprouts have been linked to food-borne illnesses because of bacterial contamination of the seeds. Some health officials recommend not eating any kind of raw sprouts.

Note: Wear gloves when handling fresh chilies; the oils can cause a burning sensation on your skin.

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