Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli (adapted from Ellie Krieger)

1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into florets
2 large stalks broccoli (1 pound), cut into florets
1 head garlic, top and sides sliced off
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place cauliflower and broccoli into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, toss with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place garlic in the pan and top with olive oil. Cover the dish and bake for 1/2 hour. Remove the cover, stir and cook for 30 to 40 minutes more, until vegetables are tender and nicely browned, stirring occasionally. The garlic may take a little longer to roast; leave in oven until done.

Orecchiette with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli (from Sarah Manaresi’s Kitchen)

Use the Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli from recipe above
1 whole pre-made chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 head garlic from recipe above, separated into cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt and peper to taste
1 pound orecchiette
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small ovenproof dish, toss the garlic with the oil. Cover with foil and roast until heated through (or if starting from raw garlic, until soft, about 30 minutes). Put the pine nuts in a separate pan and toast alongside the garlic until golden brown, about 15 minutes. You can also reheat the cauliflower and broccoli in the oven at the same time.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh out of the peelings and mash the garlic into the warm oil remaining in the baking dish. Add the salt and pepper.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orecchiette until just done. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the orecchiette and toss with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, the broccoli, the cauliflower, the chicken, the garlic mixture, the pine nuts, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

If your kids are not fans of garlic and pine nuts, omit them in their bowls and toss with butter instead. It’s an easy swap out that doesn’t require extra cooking!