Roasted Cauliflower

This roasted cauliflower recipe is so easy! The cauliflower florets are tossed with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan, then baked until golden.

It's also wonderfully flavorful. High-heat baking caramelizes the cauliflower and turns it into a delicacy.

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that can be used in countless recipes, such as sauteed cauliflower, microwave cauliflower, cauliflower pizza crust, and Buffalo cauliflower wings.

This roasted cauliflower recipe is especially good. It's delicious, and my entire family loves the cheesy topping. The cauliflower becomes wonderfully creamy as it bakes! It's a lovely side dish that goes with many meals.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this roasted cauliflower recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Fresh cauliflower: You can absolutely bake frozen cauliflower. But in this particular recipe, I prefer to use fresh cauliflower.
• Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. It does have a relatively low smoke point, so you can use melted butter instead.
• Sea salt and black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper tastes best.
• Garlic powder: You can use fresh minced garlic instead. But I like how the powder uniformly coats the cauliflower and doesn't burn as quickly as minced garlic.
• Grated Parmesan: It's best to use finely grated cheese, although coarsely shredded parmesan will work if that's all you have.

Variations

• Sometimes I use melted butter instead of olive oil. It's delicious!
• Add ½ teaspoon of onion powder and reduce the garlic powder to ½ teaspoon.
• Add a pinch of dried thyme and/or cayenne pepper. I've tried both options and enjoyed them.

Roasted Cauliflower Instructions

Baking cauliflower in the oven is truly easy. In fact, this is one of my easiest side dishes. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

• You start by trimming the cauliflower and separating it into florets. Try to keep the florets about the same size - use a knife to cut the bigger ones into smaller chunks.
• Next, place the cauliflower pieces in a rimmed baking dish large enough to fit them in a single layer without crowding them too much. (Photo 1).
• Toss them with olive oil and spices. I use my hands to make sure all the pieces are well-coated. (Photo 2).
• Bake the cauliflower for 15 minutes in a 425°F oven. Gently stir it, sprinkle the florets with parmesan, and bake them for 10-15 more minutes. (Photos 3-4).

Expert Tips

• You can buy a whole head of cauliflower and separate it into florets (or bake a whole cauliflower!), or you can buy a bag of pre-washed florets. If you opt for the second option, you'll find that some cauliflower florets are quite large while others are small. It's a good idea to cut the large ones so they are all about the same size.
• For crispy results, try to space the florets in the baking dish. If the florets are too crowded in the pan, they will steam rather than roast and won't come out crispy.

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

Storing Leftovers

The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I usually keep them in a glass container like this one:

Reheat the leftovers gently in the microwave at 50% power before serving them. Sometimes, instead of reheating the leftovers, I add them cold to a salad.

More Cauliflower Recipes

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Recipe Card

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Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

In this easy recipe for roasted cauliflower, cauliflower florets are tossed in olive oil, garlic, and parmesan, then baked until golden and creamy.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large head cauliflower cleaned and separated into florets (1 lb.)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan dry-grated

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Place the cauliflower florets in a rimmed baking dish large enough to accommodate them in a single layer, such as a 9 X 13 rectangular baking dish.
• Toss the cauliflower florets in the pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes.
• Gently stir the florets, sprinkle them with the parmesan, and continue baking until tender and golden, about 10-15 more minutes. Serve immediately. 

Video

Notes

• For crispy results, try to space the florets in the baking dish. If the florets are too crowded in the pan, they will steam rather than roast and won't come out crispy.
• You can use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder. But I like how the powder uniformly coats the cauliflower and doesn't burn as quickly in the oven as fresh garlic.
• The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. Sometimes, instead of reheating the leftovers, I add them cold to a salad.

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Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 292mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g

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