Roasted Cauliflower
From The Kitchen · a prep-ahead staple
A Set-the-Week staple, make once, eat all week.
Roasting is what turns cauliflower from bland to crave-able, a hot oven caramelizes the edges into something sweet, nutty and crisp. It could not be simpler: florets, a little oil, salt, and heat. I make a big tray and it never lasts.
Scaled from the original recipe, sizing up or down is proportional, so taste and adjust the salt, acid & spice.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (a light coat)
- Sea salt & black pepper
- Optional: a squeeze of lemon or grated Parmesan, to finish
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Break the cauliflower into even, bite-sized florets and pile them into a bowl.
- Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat, and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan, don't crowd them, or they'll steam instead of brown.
- Roast 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon or a little Parmesan, if you like.
Storage: Keeps 3 days in the refrigerator; crisp it up again in a hot oven.
Gina's tip
Two rules for the best roasted cauliflower: don't crowd the pan (space is what lets them brown instead of steam), and let them go further than you think, that deep golden color is where all the sweet, nutty flavor lives.
Roast the whole head at once and use it all week, in bowls, tossed with pasta, folded into a salad, or eaten off the pan while it's hot.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
Gina