Want to make it easy to eat your veggies? This Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower is so irresistible, you’ll find yourself inhaling bites off the baking sheet before you even sit down to serve it. Admittedly, adding cheese to veggies is an age old trick to make them more palatable. But this recipe features roasted cauliflower: baked at high heat the vegetable breaks down into a sweet, caramelized version of itself. Add crunchy Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings, and it’s a sophisticated, restaurant-style spin on the concept behind cheesy broccoli. Heck, we think it’s even better than French fries. Also try: Perfect Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan
There’s a short list of ingredients for Parmesan roasted cauliflower! All you need is a few basics and about 40 minutes to make this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
2 pounds cauliflower The size of cauliflower heads can vary greatly between small, medium and large. Look for a medium cauliflower and weigh it out at the store.Olive oilGarlic powder OreganoShredded Parmesan cheese You’ll want the kind that looks like tiny sticks: not the powdery shaker can version: that’s grated!
The secrets to Parmesan roasted cauliflower
There are lots of recipes for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan out there: what makes this one special? A few things:
Use very high heat: 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t trust any recipes that say to roast cauliflower at 350. Roasting at high heat gets the cauliflower tender and browned: that Maillard reaction where food browns and caramelizes when in contact with high heat! Low heat doesn’t get nearly the right flavor and texture.Add Parmesan in the last 10 minutes. It won’t get overly browned this way, but still gets perfectly crispy. It’s seasoned to perfection. Some Parmesan roasted cauliflower don’t specify the amount of salt. It’s important to have it it perfectly salted: otherwise it tastes oddly bland.
Tips on how to chop cauliflower
The place where most home cooks have an issue with cauliflower: the chopping! It can be difficult to chop florets without getting a huge mess all over your kitchen. For this roasted cauliflower Parmesan, use our streamlined method cutting this veggie! See How to Cut Cauliflower or the video below.
Ways to serve Parmesan roasted cauliflower
This Parmesan roasted cauliflower is such a treat. We serve it as a late night snack just as often as we make it as an easy side dish…but that’s just us! Here are a few ideas for ways to eat it:
Grain bowl. Add a whole grain, chickpeas or white beans, and a few raw veggies like arugula and sliced cherry tomatoes. The perfect easy dinner! Side for seafood. This would be fantastic next to Pesto Salmon, Grilled Tilapia, Creamy Shrimp Pasta or Easy Pesto Shrimp.Pasta. Make an easy main dish by throwing this into a pot of spaghetti or bucatini! Drizzle with olive oil and salt until it pops. You could also add chickpeas or torn fresh mozzarella for additional filling protein.
Cauliflower nutrition
Like we mentioned above…roasted cauliflower with Parmesan has much of the addictive power of fries! It doesn’t just cut down on calories: it adds lots of nutrients too. You get all the nutrient-density of a head of cauliflower. Here’s a breakdown of cauliflower nutrition (source Harvard Medical School):
Low calorie food: 1 cup of chopped cauliflower has only 25 calories and 5 grams carbsHigh in vitamins: Cauliflower is a great source of Vitamin C! It’s also a good source of Vitamin B and potassium.Relatively high in fiber: Cauliflower is high in fiber: 1 cup has about 10% of your daily needs.
This roasted cauliflower Parmesan recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free.
More cauliflower recipes
Cauliflower is one of the most versatile of all vegetables! Here are some of our favorite ways to use it: 5 from 3 reviews
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings The best baked cauliflower wings! They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tossed with spicy buffalo sauce.Cauliflower Stir Fry This easy stir fry is an ideal healthy and easy dinner idea! It’s full of nutrients and covered in a punchy sauce.Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Loaded with flavor, packed with caramelized roasted cauliflower, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil!Coconut Cauliflower Curry This easy dinner recipe is warm-spiced, nutrient packed, and ready in just over 30 minutes. Dinnertime win.
Want more roasted vegetables? Here are the Best Vegetables to Roast.
