Roasted romanesco cauliflower with pistachios and feta

This is seriously the easiest 30 minute meal ever. And pretty darn delicious, if I say so myself.

At Sunday's East Side farmer's market, this pretty little thing caught my eye, accompanied by a sign reading "End of Season Cauliflower:"

It's romanesco cauliflower, which is many cool things. It's an edible flower. It's also a fractal! The latent math nerd in me is excited. Each of its buds is composed of smaller buds, all arranged in logarithmic spirals. (Here is a delightfully nerdy article about it from Fourmi Lab.) It's also rich in Vitamin C, which I certainly need at the moment.

As I cook this meal, I'm getting over my once-a-year bug. Tonight is the first time I've wanted real food (i.e. food other than ice cream and pizza ... apparently when I'm sick I turn into a seven-year-old at a slumber party). And while I'm well enough to cook, I'm not well enough for the grocery store. So this is what I've come up with:

Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower with Pistachios and Feta (serves 2)

1 1/2 lbs romanesco cauliflower (although regular would work just fine)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
red pepper to taste
toasted pine nuts to taste (I like a lot)
a couple squeezes of fresh lemon juice
chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is heating, chop the cauliflower. Romanesco seems built around a core, so for me this was more like coring an apple than chopping a regular head of cauliflower.

Toss the cauliflower with the garlic, olive oil, and salt in an 8x8 baking dish. Roast for 30 minutes.

Once the cauliflower is done, toss it with the remaining ingredients. I served it over whole wheat pasta.
Roasting brings out a deliciously sweet, nutty flavor in the cauliflower, the full extent of which was probably lost to me, given my sniffles.