- 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1/2 head purple cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pinches grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Place walnuts in the hot skillet; continually cook and stir walnuts until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and chop walnuts.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
- Cook and stir cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in the same pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Pour balsamic vinegar over cauliflower. Cook and stir cauliflower until balsamic vinegar has reduced, about 1 minute.
- Stir walnuts, cooked garlic, red pepper flakes, and rosemary into cauliflower mixture until well combined.
- Stir cooked rotini and reserved 1/2 cup cooking water into cauliflower mixture until well blended. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and Parmesan cheese over rotini and cauliflower mixture.