Yummy Pasta

This is based on a recipe I found in Everyday by Rachel Ray a few months ago, but I changed it by adding the sauce - which totally makes the dish! I quite literally licked my plate (and the spoon, and the serving bowl :) ) clean. I'm totally looking forward to leftovers for lunch!

1 lb penne pasta
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
EVOO
salt & freshly ground pepper
garlic powder and paprika (or other spices to taste)
8 T butter (the real stuff)
2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 cup freshly grated Romano

Preheat oven to 400.

Lay the cauliflower on a baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and toss to coat. Lay the florets back out all nice and neat so they are touching but not overlapping.

Lightly salt and pepper. Sprinkle on garlic powder and about 2/3 as much paprika as garlic powder. (Take it easy on the garlic powder and paprika, they're just there for emphasis in this dish.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes until browned, but not burned.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, in a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the butter is golden-brown, about 6 minutes. (I don't have a heavy saucepan, so I had to cheat and stir the butter once or twice to keep it from burning around the edges. This, of course, disrupted the cooking process and made me cook it much longer.) Remove from heat and, after a minute, add the heavy cream and sage. Return to heat and simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheeses. (I'm not entirely certain on the amount of cheese. I used two large palmfuls of cheese, which I am estimating is 1 1/2 cup total. The sauce will still be a little runny, not overly cheesy/creamy. I also used more Romano than Parmesan because I prefer it's more subdued flavor. Remember that cooking, unlike baking, is not a precise science. There's always room for personal preference.) Do not stir the cheeses in, but rather let them sit for a bit. Stir it all together after a few minutes and toss with the hot, drained pasta. (I always add my pasta slowly to the sauce - I don't want too much pasta and not enough sauce!) Enjoy!