Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan
Roasted cauliflower with Parmesan cheese makes for a delectable combination that is both healthy and flavorful. When roasted to perfection, the cauliflower becomes tender and slightly caramelized. At the same time, the nutty, salty Parmesan cheese adds a rich depth of flavor that perfectly complements the vegetable.
The dish is easy to make, requiring simple ingredients and minimal prep time. To prepare, cut the cauliflower into florets, toss with oil and a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese, and roast until golden brown and crispy.
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Top Tips
- Go with fresh cauliflower and garlic.
- Cook on a sheet pan
- Start with a high temperature, ideally 350 – 375, even 400, then reduce to 325
- Add water – the vapor will help cook the cauliflower through
- Add the parmesan cheese and lemon juice last
Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh Cauliflower
When I’m short on time and have a recipe that requires a riced consistency, I prefer frozen riced cauliflower from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
Freezing a cauliflower changes the texture and is not my favorite for roasting. I prefer fresh cauliflower for roasting; the only downside is the short shelf life.
For this roasted cauliflower with parmesan recipe, I used fresh cauliflower. Frozen cauliflower tends to release water and results in a mushy consistency.
Parmesan Cheese
This recipe includes fresh oregano, but if you only have dried oregano, you can swap it in this recipe, and instead of 2 tbsps, reduce it to 1 tbsp of dried oregano.
Garlic
You can use frozen garlic instead of fresh garlic cloves in this roasted cauliflower and parmesan recipe if you only have frozen garlic.
FAQs
How do you roast a whole cauliflower?
Let’s start with a sheet pan, a countertop air fryer, convection oven, whole cauliflower, and the oil of choice – I prefer avocado oil for a high-heat recipe.
Cauliflower is cruciferous and has a tough consistency, and cooking cauliflower can take a long. However, I found that adding water to the pan can significantly reduce cooking time.
How can I prevent mushy cauliflower?
Mushy cauliflower happens when you cook cauliflower at low heat with too much liquid for an extended period. The key here is to increase the heat and a little bit of fat. The water helps cook the cauliflower thoroughly.
Can I add protein to this dish?
Sheet pan recipes are simple and easy-to-clean dinner recipes. I love to pair this with this Cuban-inspired roasted chicken or any other protein like salmon, chimichurri shrimp, beef, chicken, or fish.
This dish would be an incredible side to a chicken meatball dinner, or keep it vegetarian and pair it with a light salad.
Storage and Reheating
Roasted cauliflower and parmesan can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store in a glass container for easy storage.
Reheat in a baking dish in the oven for 5 minutes at 375 and serve.
Roasted cauliflower with parmesan
Equipment
- 1 Convection Toaster Oven
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Baking Pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Plate
Ingredients
- 1 whole Fresh Cauliflower
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 clove Garlic Trader Joe's or Fresh
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 ounce Green Onions
- 1 cup Purified Water
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Prepare by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
- Start by rinsing the cauliflower and pulling apart the florets. Then place the florets on the baking pan.
- Generously drizzle the olive oil and coat evenly. Sprinkle salt.
- Place the baking pan in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add water. Return to the oven (this will help cook the cauliflower) and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower with the garlic and cheese.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove, sprinkle lemon juice, serve and enjoy.