I had two heads of romanesco and a batch of bacon left over from another meal. So I threw everything together and the outcome was indeed very delicious (yes, I will have to work on my presentation). It’s an unpretentious and simple recipe for leftover usage.

Ingredients (for at least two):

2 (small) heads of romanesco, cut into florets
2 shallots, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 layer of bacon, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1 dried peperoncino, crumbled

How to:

Chop shallots, mince garlic and slice up bacon and mushrooms. Bring some salted water to a boil and add in the romanesco florets. Cook, covered, until tender (this will take longer than you might think, around 15 minutes or so). Stir from time to time.

In a pot over medium high heat, heat some oil and add in the mushrooms. Stir every now and then and when they have colored a little add in the bacon, garlic, onion and the (optional) peperoncino.

When everything has browned and crisped nicely, add the white wine and let reduce until almost dry.

In with a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the tablespoon of flour and stir thoroughly to incorporate (thus, making a “roux” – you decide the color, but I suggest leaving it a light color, so it will not get too overwhleming).

Now, in portions, add in the cream stirring continuously with a whisk to avoid lumps. Reduce the heat to medium low and let everything thicken up, then add in the chicken stock. Let this simmer, stirring often until a nice and smooth sauce develops.

Your florets should be done by now, so drain them through a sieve and add into your saucepot. Mix everything and season to taste with salt and pepper.