Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan

A visually stunning, and healthy, vegetarian side dish perfect for dinner parties and holiday celebrations.

roasted whole baby cauliflower standing on its stem
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan
Servings: 4 servings
I'm fascinated by the idea of roasting an entire head of cauliflower, so when I came across these adorable baby cauliflower at the market the wheels started turning. They make a visually stunning side dish, perfect on cold winter nights.
You can substitute one large cauliflower if you can't find the little ones.

Ingredients

  • 4 baby cauliflower
  • One small onion quartered then sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch long pieces
  • *4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • *4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • *4 sprigs fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil
  • olive oil spray
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the cauliflower. I soaked mine upside down in a big bowl of water to get any grit out of the nooks and crannies. Keep the leaves on. Hold each one over the sink by the stem and spray with olive oil.
    raw baby cauliflower with leaves attached
  • Tuck the herbs into all of the crevices as shown. Place on a rimmed baking sheet with the onions and any remaining herbs. Drizzle each cauliflower with about a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then turn them over so that the stems face up. Roast for 20 minutes then turn them so that the stems are facing down. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes minutes.
  • Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, then top with the shredded and roast until cauliflower is tender and the onions are dark brown, about another 10-12 minutes longer. Serve on per person, with the onions and remaining cheese mixture to the side.

Notes

* I bought a .66 oz package at the market that contained all three.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword cauliflower recipes, elegant side dish recipe, Jackie Alpers, roasted cauliflower recipe, roasted whole cauliflower recipe

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