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2010Golden Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino Romano Cheese
Poor cauliflower…such an under-appreciated vegetable. Everyone passes over it at the grocery store, not quite sure what to do with it; it’s more colorful neighbor, broccoli, gets all the attention. I admit, I’m guilty too, though not at all because I don’t like it…I do! It’s the kids…whenever I make it, they walk around the house holding their noses. Subtle, right?
But recently my friend, Beth, told me she got her kids to eat cauliflower by simply roasting it. I figured it was worth a shot.
All you do is toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast them in a very hot oven until caramelized and tender-crisp.
Finish with freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese. It’s simple, healthy, and so so good.
And guess what? You know that little boy who was holding his nose?
Yep, he liked it.
One out of two’s not bad :)
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Golden Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino Romano Cheese
Printable Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 ½ pounds), cut into florets about 1½” wide*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
A few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions
1. Set rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
3. Roast cauliflower florets on baking sheet, stirring a few times to promote even browning, until tender and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; you want the florets to develop deep golden spots. If it looks like they’re getting too dark, turn oven down to 425 degrees.) Sprinkle with grated cheese, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with parsley. Serve hot or room temperature.
*Dry cauliflower florets with a kitchen towel after washing…too much moisture will prevent them from browning.
Chris
ooooh, I love cauliflower! I’ve struggled too with just WHAT to do with it, other than the obligatory nuke-in-microwave-cover-with-cream-sauce-nuke-again recipe from who knows when.
I gave up, and usually just eat it raw LOL..THIS I am going to try tonight!
*wonders if that would work just as well for broccoli…*
Ronnissweettooth.blogspot.com
I “rediscovered” this year just how much I love cauliflower. And yes, roasting it is best. If I can offer one tip, it would be to blanch the cauliflower for 3-5 minutes before baking. It makes a huge difference in the final product.
leslie
Getting the kids to eat a new veggie seriously deserves an award!!!!! This looks simply amazing!
Meg
Another way to get cauliflower to brown is to sprinkle a very very tiny bit onto the pieces before you put them in the oven. You won’t taste the sugar, but it will help brown your veg. I’ve only made this with parmesan cheese before, so I’m looking forward to trying it with the romano. Thank you for sharing!
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1735565500
Yummiest cauliflower ever. Seriously, I think this is going to be my new snack food! Thanks Jen!
Chris
Belinda
Oh my gosh this is good. My husband and I ate the entire dish for dinner! Once again, it was great.
Mara
This was simple and DELICIOUS! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Megan
What a beautiful dish-and it sounds delicious! I just bought quite a bit of pecorino romano cheese and have been wondering what to do with it-looks like I found my answer
Cook in NY
Outstanding! My whole family loved this. I love roasted veggies and don’t know why I never thought to roast cauliflower. Thank you!
sara
this was so easy and delicious!
Sonja Denney
This was the first time I made roasted cauliflower and all I can say is WOW!
Actually I can also say “Thank you” for the recipe. It’s the best way to fix the veg.
Karen
I am completely addicted to roasted cauliflower. Try it with a little curry power & a pinch of garam masala. It never gets to my family’s plates
Dani
My husband and I enjoy to cook healthy, delicious meals at home from scratch and I’m overjoyed to have found this blog of recipes. This recipe was simple and great. We served it with her talipia recipe. Both dishes were wonderful and tonight I’m trying the Parmesan smashed potatoes, so excited! The directions are easy to follow and the ingredients created simple and tasty meals!
Julie M.
My family didn’t like cauliflower until this recipe. It’s so good, so yummy, and so healthy! Now we make this a couple times a month!
Melissa Crawford
I love roasting broccoli and other veggies in the oven and will definitely try this one with cauliflower very soon.
Dottie White
Absolutely divine and works great with broccoli. You might have to fiddle with your oven temp to get the browning right!
Megan
Have cauliflower growing in the garden. Can’t wait to try these.
Lisa
I LOVE cauliflower & had never had it roasted until trying this recipe! It was phenomenal & has become my go-to veggie! Also really good with parmesan cheese!
Brenda Venable
This is a great way to cook cauliflower. Even my picky son ate it! Always glad for another vegetable in my repertoire!
Christina
You should try adding balsamic vinegar when you add the Pecorino Romano cheese. Its amazing:)
Sara
This has become one of my favorite go-to recipes. It is fast, easy and delicious!
Patty
This recipe is really good, but to suit my taste a little more, I thinly sliced garlic cloves and tucked them into the florets to perfume them while roasting. Garlic helps everything, right?
Becca J
I’m a huge fan of this recipe. So easy and a great way to add a ton of flavor to vegetables. My 2-year old loves this, as do we! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Jesselyn A/Jesstinger
Jenn, this recipe is so good that I barely got a taste of it myself I just made it as a kind of last minute thing to go with some Lamb Patties and Wilted Spinach “Salad:.
I did make a few TINY changes (adaptations) I instead of plain black pepper, I used a freshly ground Garlic-Pepper (we are garlic lovers) and at the end used a combination of Pecorino Romano and grated/shredded Asiago (not sure if that made ANY difference.) But the bottom line is this dish is genuinely delicious and something about ROASTING as the cooking method seems to make an enormous difference in the flavor quality.
Notes:
1. It’s a good idea to stir and check the cauliflower frequently. I did have to turn the oven temperature after about 10 minutes otherwise the florets can easily char or burn.
2. I’m just guessing here – but I can’t imagine this recipe working well with frozen (thawed) cauliflower – I think it might end up as a watery, mushy mess. But if I’m wrong I hope someone will correct me!
Sharyn
Sooo good. My teenager often asks for this o e!
Bridget
This was a huge hit with the family – especially the hubby. Kids usually only will eat cauliflower smothered in cheese…I prepped this in a pan and my Hubby made it on the grill.