I don’t know about you, but here in Salem, Massachusetts, we’ve had just enough of the cold weather.
I’m still craving comfort food, and here we are, with April Fool’s Day creeping up on us.
This roasted cauliflower is dusted with Parmesan and roasted ’til just crisp.
It’s the perfect side dish for a chilly Spring evening.
Trust me: If you’ve never been crazy about cauliflower, give this a shot.
I’ve heard a rumor that this will turn most kids into cauliflower converts. (I know. Magic, right?)
For this recipe, slice fresh cauliflower into pieces, sprinkle with olive oil and garlic powder.
Roast for about 30 minutes, or until just fork tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then roast until toasty brown.
The result? Nutty. Salty. Fragrant with olive oil.
I love to serve this with herb-roasted chicken or fat, pan-seared sirloin steaks.
This technique is really simple.
I don’t add any salt because the Parmesan is plenty salty for our taste. You could punch this up with almost any fresh chopped green herb.
Thyme, rosemary, parsley, or basil would all be great choices.
You could also throw in a few different kinds of cheeses with the Parmesan.
Any hard, grating cheeses should work well.
Asiago would be a great choice. Or, if you wanted, a blend of Parmesan and softer Fontina would probably be delicious, though result in a less-crisp texture.
Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
1 head fresh cauliflower
1/2 – 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 – 1 tsp. white pepper
olive oil
1/2 – 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Serves about 4 as a side dish
Prep the cauliflower
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Grab your cauliflower. Peel some of the green leaves off, then whack off the thick stem at the base of the leaves.
Set the greens aside for later use (or compost ’em). The greens are edible, some people make chips out of them or roast and eat the leaves. Up to you.
Cut the cauliflower into rough slices.
Try to keep them roughly the same thickness (don’t make yourself nuts) so that they cook evenly.
Spread the cauliflower out on your prepared pan.
Drizzle with olive oil.
You want to use enough to get some oil on each piece of cauliflower.
Dust evenly with white pepper and garlic powder.
Roast the cauliflower
Slide the pan into your preheated, 425-degree oven.
(When I shot the pics for this post, I made a double batch. This recipe roughly fills one sheet pan, depending on how large your head of cauliflower is.)
Roast for about 35 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges and just tender when poked with a fork.
After about 35 minutes, yank the pan out of the oven.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, being sure to get some cheese on each piece of cauliflower.
Return to the oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until nicely browned and cooked all the way through.
When it’s done, pull the pan out of the oven and set on a rack.
Serve immediately.
Need more easy, cheesy cauliflower?
Try my Cauliflower Gratin with Toasted Walnuts.
It’s even cheesier than this recipe. Think mac n’ cheese substitute.
Enjoy!
And here’s to beautiful Spring weather.
It’s on the way!
The Hungry Mouse
Yields About 4 servings
This cauliflower. It's nutty. Salty. Fragrant with olive oil. I love to serve it with herb-roasted chicken or fat, pan-seared sirloin steaks.
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Grab your cauliflower. Peel the green leaves off, then whack off the thick stem at the base of the leaves. Set the greens aside for later use (or compost ’em).
- Cut the cauliflower into rough slices. Try to keep them roughly the same thickness (don’t make yourself nuts) so that they cook evenly. Spread the cauliflower out on your prepared pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil. You want to use enough to get some oil on each piece of cauliflower.
- Dust evenly with white pepper and garlic powder.
- Slide the pan into your preheated, 425-degree oven. Roast for about 35 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges and just tender when poked with a fork.
- After about 35 minutes, yank the pan out of the oven. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, being sure to get some cheese on each piece of cauliflower.
- Return to the oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until nicely browned and cooked all the way through.
- When it’s done, pull the pan out of the oven and set on a rack. Serve immediately.
