Yotam Ottolenghi's pasta

The sweet and salty combination of currants and capers is a Sicilian mix that's both interesting and scrumptious. I love it. Serves four. 1 medium cauliflower (around 480g) 3 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper 65g currants 2½ tbsp white-wine vinegar ½ tsp caster sugar ¼ tsp saffron strands 2 red onions, peeled and cut into large dice 4 stalks celery, the stems cut on an angle into 1cm slices, the leaves picked and torn 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 250g gigli (or campanelle, or other short pasta) 50g pine nuts, toasted 20g salted capers, rinsed 20g parsley leaves, roughly chopped 10g celery leaves Heat the oven to 240C/465F/gas mark 9. Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Toss with a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt, spread on an oven tray and bake until golden and semi-cooked, about 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, gently warm the currants, vinegar, sugar and saffron, then set aside to infuse. Pour the remaining oil into a very large sauté pan. Add the onion and celery stems, fry on medium-high heat until they begin to colour and soften – about eight minutes – then add the roasted cauliflower and garlic, and sauté for three minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the cauliflower pan. Stir in the pine nuts, capers, currant mix, half a teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and celery leaves, and serve immediately. Orecchiette vongole with spicy chilli paste The green chilli paste is refreshingly hot and delicious. Use it sparingly, though, or it will mask the flavour of the clams. Store whatever is left in a sealed jar in the fridge for two weeks or longer. Use it to spoon over meat, fish, roasted veg: anything that needs livening up. Serves four, generously. 20g unsalted butter 2 tbsp olive oil 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin 200ml white wine 2kg clams (discard any open ones) 500g orecchiette (or linguine or spaghetti, if need be) Salt and black pepper For the chilli paste 20g coriander, leaves and stems 10g parsley leaves ½ mild green chilli, deseeded ½ tsp each ground cumin and ground cardamom ½ tsp caster sugar Grated zest of ½ lemon 1½ tbsp olive oil Put the chilli paste ingredients in a food processor, add half a teaspoon of salt and two teaspoons of water, and blitz to a smooth, thick, yet pourable sauce (add water as needed). Over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil in a very large sauté pan, add the red chillies and garlic, and sauté for three minutes. Turn up the heat, add the wine and, when it's bubbling, add the clams. Cover the pan, shake well and steam the clams for two minutes until they open. Remove the clams from the liquid with a slotted spoon, let it bubble for a minute, then turn off the heat. Remove the meat from two-thirds of the clam shells (discard any that have not opened), and return the picked meat and the unpicked clam shells to the pan. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, add to the clams and season to taste. Serve at once with some chilli paste spooned on top.