Purge the clams by soaking them in water with a little coarse salt. Cut the cauliflower into florets, clean, and soak them in water.

Cook the cauliflower in plenty of salted water (you’ll use this water later to cook the pasta). When the cauliflower is tender (about 15 minutes), remove it with a strainer (keep the pot of water for the pasta) and blend it with an immersion blender, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a little of its cooking water at a time until you get a smooth, fluid cream. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap.

In a small pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the bread crumbs roughly chopped with rosemary. Toast until crispy but not burnt.

In a large skillet (where you’ll finish the pasta), heat a drizzle of olive oil, add the garlic clove, chili pepper, and parsley stems.

When hot, add the clams and a ladle of hot cauliflower cooking water. Let the clams open. As they open, remove them from the pan. Shell the clams, leaving a few in the shell for garnish, and strain the cooking liquid (I use a paper towel to make sure there’s no sand). Place the clams and liquid in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Cook the linguine in the cauliflower water. Halfway through cooking, transfer the pasta to the skillet with the clam liquid. Let it absorb the flavors, then continue cooking, adding a little cooking water at a time as needed.

One or two minutes before the pasta is done, add the cauliflower cream (about 2 tablespoons per person) and mix well with the pasta.

At the end of cooking, add the clams and toss everything together with a drizzle of olive oil. The sauce should stay creamy, not dry!