I love cauliflower but it's doesn't love my son--Elbows with Cauliflower, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Garlic Oil

Elbows with Cauliflower, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Garlic Oil
365 Ways To Cook Pasta Copyright 1988

2 cups elbow macaroni
1 medium head cauliflower (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed and broken into florets (about 4 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon crushed dried red pepper (or less to taste)
1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or fresh basil leaves

1. Cook macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Using a ladle, remove ½ cup of the macaroni cooking liquid; reserve. Drain macaroni.
2. Meanwhile, steam cauliflower on a rack set over gently boiling water in a covered saucepan until tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a small skillet; add garlic. Sauté over low heat until garlic is softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste to blend. Remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl, stir the macaroni and reserved ½ cup macaroni cooking liquid together. Add the cauliflower and garlic oil mixture; sprinkle with parsley.
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This recipe is from before I started watching my diet for my son. Although I think he could handle the small amount of tomatoes in this (I've started eating small amounts again), I don't think he liked the effects of the cauliflower and garlic. Even though I've tried avoiding anything remotely gassy, the kid is still one gassy baby. I think my older son is jealous - he wishes he could make those noises come out of his butt but unfortunately he inherited my quieter tendencies.

I really liked this but I think the reason was mainly that I happen to love cauliflower. Otherwise, it wasn't anything extra-special, just a few nice flavors blended together, rather garlicky. I used Smart Taste pasta so it was a healthy side dish.

I'll try to get back on track this week. I'm cooking a lot but lots of reruns.

Question of the Day: What vegetables do you like cooked with pasta? I think the possibilities are endless but I often tend to forget the option of mixing the vegetable and pasta together as a side dish.