We miss Seattle more and more every day, so I’ve been recreating the dishes we fell in love with during our time in the city. Pasilla chile cauliflower flatbread is the first recipe I’m sharing as part of my Seattle series.
I believe we subconsciously know when our lives are about to change. It may not be completely clear in the moment, but there’s a feeling deep down inside that tells us something is coming.
I had one of these moments back in September 2014. I was sitting in a hotel room in Mountain View, California. I heard the ping of an incoming email on my phone and looked down to a message from an Amazon recruiter. I’d been looking for a new job for a while at that point, but something told me this would be the one. I felt simultaneously guilty and excited. Guilty because Zac was two hours into an onsite interview at Google; excited because, well it’s Amazon.
Fast forward one month. Google didn’t work out, and I was flown out to Seattle to interview onsite with Amazon. Zac and I went into the trip with a little bit of skepticism. Neither one of us had ever considered moving to Seattle; honestly, I don’t think either of us had ever contemplated even visiting. I mean, it rains too much, right?
Not really. We had gorgeous weather. We spent our first day walking around the city and taking in the views from atop the Space Needle. By that evening, I was exhausted and getting increasingly nervous about the next morning’s interview. We decided to find a low key place for dinner, close to our hotel.
After a bit of research, we ended up at Taphouse on 6th Avenue. Their menu was packed with traditional bar staples, with an urban twist. As an appetizer, we ordered a pasilla chile cauliflower flatbread. This dish was right up our ally. It was filled with bright flavors, smokey chiles, and fresh veggies.
There were so many flavors, but they all combine beautifully into one cohesive dish! The chipotle aioli was creamy and smokey; the perfect base for this flatbread. The fresh chimichurri brightened the whole dish. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted with those caramelized crunchy pieces. The roasted corn and cherry tomatoes added a pop of sweetness that balanced out the smokey chiles. The whole flatbread was finished with a drizzle of creamy Mexican crema to cool things down.
This was the food I’d been wanting for a long time. I’ve talked about living in Shippensburg, PA in other blog posts; how I wanted to move somewhere where I could experience amazing food. This was the moment where I first thought we could be happy living in Seattle.
The rest of our trip was amazing. I got the job with Amazon, and we were completely moved to Seattle by the end of 2014. The pasilla cauliflower bread from Taphouse remained one of our favorite dishes, and we went back often over our four years in Seattle.
When Zac and I moved back to Pennsylvania, this was the dish at the top of my list to recreate first. I got lucky one day when I was googling the restaurant for the menu description. I stumbled upon an article from King 5 News sharing the exact recipe! I couldn’t believe it!
I was surprised to find that the chipotle aioli contained an unexpected ingredient – sesame oil. I didn’t understand at first what sesame could do for the aioli. But I made the recipe, and sure enough, it tasted exactly the same way I remember it. The sesame oil added notes of nuttiness and depth to the aiolis flavor, that otherwise would have been missing.
I wish I could say I developed this recipe myself, but all the credit goes to the amazing chefs at Taphouse Seattle and their sister restaurant, Stout. This recipe may seem like it has a lot of components, but each one is easy to make and comes together quickly. I promise you will not be disappointed!
A few notes on the cauliflower flatbread:
- Make sure use to use regular sesame oil & not toasted sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is darker with a richer flavor. Its flavor will overwhelm the other flavors in the aioli.
- Each component can be made ahead and kept in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
- If you didn’t want to make your own flatbread dough, you can sub in your favorite store-bought flatbread.
Check out these other great recipes!
- Roasted cherry tomatoes with ricotta & chile oil
- Tomatillo & roasted corn salsa
- Blueberry Lemonade
- Strawberry Swirl Pudding Pops
- Squash Blossoms with Herbed Ricotta
Pasilla Chile Cauliflower Flatbread
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 Flatbreads 1x
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Simple, flavor-packed ingredients come together in this easy flatbread recipe. Packed with bright chimichurri, smokey chipotle aioli, and topped with roasted chile-rubbed cauliflower, corn, and sweet cherry tomatoes this flatbread makes a quick appetizer for friends & family.
Ingredients
Recipe from Stout Seattle
For the Flat Bread Dough:
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp semolina flour
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp active dry yeast
- ⅛ tsp brown sugar
- ¾ cup + tbsp water
- 3 tsp olive oil
For the Chimichurri:
- 2 oz fresh cilantro
- 2 oz fresh Italian(flat-leaf) parsley
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 oz green onions
- 1 jalapeno, seeded
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 1 lime
For the Chipotle Aioli:
- 1 ¾ tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 4 egg yolks
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp sesame oil (*see note)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
For the Roasted Cauliflower:
- 1 head cauliflower (white or purple), chopped
- 2–3 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ – 1 tsp ground pasilla chile (*see note)
- ½ – ¾ tsp kosher salt
For the Roasted Corn:
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (optional)
To Assemble the Flatbread:
- 1 recipe flatbread dough
- ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 recipe chimichurri
- 1 recipe chipotle aioli
- 1 recipe roasted cauliflower
- 1 recipe roasted corn
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
- Mexican crema (optional for garnish)
- Green onions (optional for garnish)
Instructions
For the Flat Bread Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, combine all-purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, yeast, and brown sugar. Mix to combine.
- Add in the water and mix on low for 2 minutes.
- Add in the olive oil, and continue mixing on low for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and bounce back when pressed with your finger.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and set in a warm place. Let rise for 45 minutes. *See note.
- Portion the dough equally into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder. Using a rolling pin, roll each cylinder out into an oval, about ⅛th inch think.
- Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the heated pan. Carefully add each flatbread to the pan; cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip, then cook another 30 seconds.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
For the Chimichurri:
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the Chipotle Aioli:
- In the bowl of a food processor, add egg yolks and lemon juice.
- With the food processor on low, very slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil. The mixture should be thick and creamy, like mayo.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, and pulse to combine.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
For the Cauliflower:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Toss the cauliflower in the avocado oil, pasilla chile, and kosher salt. *See note.
- Roasted for 15 to 20 minutes under brown & crispy.
For the Roasted Corn:
- If you leave the corn on the cob, heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Toast the corn cobs for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning a few times to make sure all sides get charred.
- If you cut the corn off the cob, heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Heat the avocado oil, then toss in the corn. Toast for 5-8 minutes until charred.
To Assemble the Flatbread (*See note):
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place flatbreads in a single layer on a large sheet pan.
- Spread 3-4 tbsp chipotle aioli over the flatbread; next spread 3-4 tbsp chimichurri. Cover with a light sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese.
- Add ¼ cup roasted cauliflower. Sprinkle 3-4 tbsp roasted corn. Finish with ⅛ cup sliced tomatoes.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove and garnish with Mexican crema and green onions.
Notes
For the Flat Bread Dough:
- The amount of yeast in the flatbread will not produce a large rise.
For the Chipotle Aioli:
- Make sure you use regular sesame oil and not toasted sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is much darker in color, and its rich flavor will overpower the aioli.
For the Cauliflower:
- If you can’t find pasilla chile powder, you can substitute any other kind of chile powder.
- If your head of cauliflower is on the larger side, use the max amount of recommended avocado oil, pasilla chile, and salt.
To Assemble the Flatbread:
- The amounts provided are recommendations. You can add as much or as little of each ingredient as you are building your flatbread.
- Category: Appetizers and Snacks
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cauliflower flatbread, pasilla chile, chipotle chile, roasted cauliflower, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, chipotle aioli, chipotle mayo, chimichurri, easy flatbread recipe, Seattle series