Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower – Slender

This easy cauliflower recipe will quickly rise to the top as your favorite side dish. The cauliflower is roasted until it’s browned and crispy. It’s served with plenty of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon juice. It’s a favorite along with this Grilled Cauliflower and the Best Cauliflower Mash.

If you aren’t roasting your cauliflower yet, you are missing out. It is the best way to eat cauliflower in my opinion and you really can’t beat the crispy, browned, caramelized bits of cauliflower. To kick things up another notch, this roasted cauliflower gets a healthy dose of garlic, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes if you like spice, and fresh lemon juice. It’s pretty dreamy and tastes like a fancy restaurant side. 

Now when it comes to roasting cauliflower, there are really two methods. You can oven roast the cauliflower, basically baking it at a high temperature OR you can pan roast the cauliflower. Both turn out delicious.

Normally I will opt to use whichever method is more convenient. If I am cooking something in the oven at around the same temperature, then into the oven it goes. If I have something in there at a different temperature, then I opt to cook it on the stove in a nice hot skillet. Both methods work great.  This is also one of those recipes that you can make a million different ways once you master the base recipe.

Switch up the spices, use fresh herbs, try different spices, the options are pretty endless once you get going. But truth be told, this is by far my favorite way. Plus my family, kids included, practically fight over the last pieces. In fact, if you visited our kitchen, you would see us grabbing it right off the sheet pan. It’s that good.

The Key To Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

I am going to let you in on a secret to getting super delicious, crispy roasted cauliflower. It all comes down to how you cut the florets. One tricky part about cooking cauliflower is that the shape of a typical floret is very uneven and there isn’t a lot of surface area that comes in contact with the baking sheet or pan. This means less browning. But, if you can learn to cut your florets to have a flat edge that stays in contact with the hot pan, then you can achieve maximum browning.

Here’s what to do:

• Cut the cauliflower into planks that are around 3/4 inch thick. Basically, you are making cauliflower steaks.
• Then carefully cut around the core of the cauliflower to create florets that are flat on the top and bottom. 
• Don’t throw out the core! Chop it as well and throw it on the pan with the florets. It all tastes amazing when roasted.
• Now when you roast it, you have plenty of flat surface area that can brown. 

How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven

Roasting cauliflower in the oven couldn’t be easier. Once you have your flat florets cut (as explained above), toss them with olive oil and spread them into a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure the cauliflower has some space around it. When they overlap too much, they will steam instead of brown. You can add in any seasoning you like. Our standard is garlic or garlic powder, salt, and pepper but almost anything works. 

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Any spices you like

1. Preheat the oven to 425 with the baking sheet inside the oven so it gets hot as well.
2. Cut the cauliflower into flat florets. First, cut it into 3/4 inch thick planks. Cut around the core to cut individual florets.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any seasoning you are using. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the cauliflower florets, flat side down, onto the baking sheet in one layer. You should hear it sizzle.
3. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping the cauliflower halfway through.
4. One important note, if the cauliflower can’t flip easily, wait a few more minutes. That means it isn’t ready to be flipped.

How to Pan Roast Cauliflower

There are lots of different ways you can skillet roast or pan roast cauliflower, but only one way will result in cauliflower that is both tender and browned. The key is starting out in a cold, covered pan so that the cauliflower can begin to soften. Then crank things up and get the cauliflower nice and brown.

The other key step is trying to cut your florets so that they have as much flat surface area as possible. This method is described above.

The last trick to cooking cauliflower in a pan is to cook in batches. It’s almost impossible to fit an entire head of cauliflower in one skillet and get them all browned. If you care about them all getting browned, they need to cook in a single layer. Otherwise when they are piled up on top of each other, the bottom florets brown but nothing else. 

Here is the basic recipe for pan roasting cauliflower.

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into flat florets (see tip above)
• 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Toss all of the cauliflower with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any seasoning in a large bowl.
2. Grab a heavy skillet and add the cauliflower to the cold pan in a single layer.
3. Cover and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let cook for 5 minutes.
4. Then open and cook for 10-12 more minutes, stirring the cauliflower a couple of times. 

Ways to Use Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower  

Besides using it as a side dish, there are so many different ways to use roasted cauliflower.  There are also tons of possibilities when you mix up the seasoning blends. 

• This cauliflower is so good with pasta. For a quick and easy dinner, cook up your favorite pasta. Top it with marinara sauce, a big mound of this cauliflower, and some sliced chicken sausage, cooked shrimp, or cooked lentils. 
• It also is a killer addition to a grain bowl. Start with quinoa, farro, or brown rice. Top with this garlic Parmesan cauliflower, fresh or sauteed spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, and a spoonful of store-bought or homemade pesto.
• Reach for some eggs and make a delicious scramble with roasted cauliflower and sundried tomatoes, toss it in a frittata with some chopped ham and green onions, or add to a baked egg dish like these Parmesan and Tomato Baked Eggs.
• It is hard not to think about a salad when you think about roasted veggies. This is no exception. For an Italian inspired salad, start with a bed of arugula and add cherry tomatoes, garlic Parmesan cauliflower, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and some olives.

Seasoning Ideas

Once you start making cauliflower this way, you will never steam it or saute it again. It’s essentially impossible to turn back once you have tasted the browned bits of crispy cauliflower. It’s just too good. Knowing that, here are some other options for flavoring your roasted cauliflower for future recipes.

• Mexican: Toss the cauliflower with taco seasoning (or a simple mix of paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder). Then toss it with lime juice and fresh cilantro. You could also melt some cheddar cheese on top. 
• Steakhouse: Steak seasoning is something we love and tossing cauliflower with this punchy spice blend is delicious.  Add Parmesan cheese and lemon at the end.
• Indian: For an Indian option, toss the cauliflower with your favorite curry powder and add fresh cilantro right before serving.
• Greek: Toss the cauliflower with Greek seasoning and then finish it with lemon juice, parsley, and feta cheese.
• Ranch: Use dry ranch seasoning to cook the cauliflower and add lots of fresh lemon juice and parsley before serving.