Roasted cauliflower florets with crispy edges and Parmesan cheese

Roasted Cauliflower

The other week I was looking through my recipes and I found a recipe for roasted broccoli. Sounded good, but I had cauliflower in the fridge. The recipe was simple and tasty so I substituted the cauliflower for the broccoli and added a bit of paprika to add color and a little smokiness. This created an amazing side dish that I will be making a lot more of.

Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower

The cauliflower got a really nice color and the tips of the florets caramelized nicely to give a great flavor.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the cauliflower and then cut it into bite-sized florets. Place the bite-sized florets into a 13×9 baking dish.

Florets
Florets

Sprinkle the garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper over the cauliflower. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the florets and then toss to fully coat the cauliflower.

Season
Season

When the oven is fully heated place the pan in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes. Cook until the tips of the cauliflower start to brown. When you see the tips starting to brown test the cauliflower with a knife or fork for doneness. The last thing you want is a nice looking cauliflower that is crunchy. Don’t worry, if the cauliflower are not done but are starting to brown too much, cover with aluminum foil and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The aluminum foil will help keep the color without over browning and yet still allow the cauliflower to cook.

Completely Roasted Cauliflower
Completely Roasted Cauliflower

When the cauliflower is fully cooked remove it from the oven and then cover with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve family style with your favorite main dish.

— Rex

Roasted cauliflower florets with crispy edges and Parmesan cheese

Roasted Cauliflower

Crispy roasted cauliflower with garlic, paprika, Parmesan, and lemon. Easy vegetable side dish.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cauliflower head
  • 4-5 cloves garlic rough chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized florets.
  3. Place the florets into a 13×9 baking dish.
  4. Sprinkle the garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper over the cauliflower.
  5. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the florets and toss to fully coat.
  6. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower start to brown.
  7. When tips start to brown, test the cauliflower with a knife or fork for doneness.
  8. If cauliflower is not done but browning too much, cover with aluminum foil and cook for another 5 minutes.
  9. When fully cooked, remove from oven and cover with shredded Parmesan cheese.
  10. Serve family style with your favorite main dish.

Notes

The key to this recipe is getting the cauliflower florets nicely browned and caramelized on the tips while keeping them tender inside. Watch for browning to avoid burning. Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor.

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4 Comments

  1. I need one of those kosher salt devices a la Alton Brown…

    1. Nick – They sell them at Harris Teeter in the cheese department. They are actually cheese cellars/servers – for grated cheeses. But they work great for salt.

  2. Love roasted cauliflower and also girl scout cookies haha

  3. Another yummy way to eat cauliflower: Toss florets in some mayo to just moisten. Dip in seasoned breadcrumbs and roast in the oven. A great appetizer or side dish! Even Kaitlin will eat it!! 🙂