Roasting a whole cauliflower is probably nothing new. One imagines that as long as there has been cauliflower, cooks have been roasting whole heads of it in high heat.
Israeli cuisine is diverse and very vegetable forward. So, it’s no great surprise that an Israeli chef figured out a way to make cauliflower even tastier with a presentation that is equally appropriate served for lunch on Wednesday or as a main dish on a holiday or other special occasion.
A whole roasted cauliflower will take a little more time than roasting florets, but it makes an unbeatable visual impression, and is almost absurdly easy to make.
This easy and delicious whole roasted cauliflower is spread with seasonings and grated Parmesan cheese then oven-roasted to perfection. Serve as a side dish with any number of entrees such as roasted pork loin and baked cod or enjoy as a vegetarian meal.
Servings |
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- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp EACH garlic & onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt OR to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 40 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet.
- Remove all the outer leaves of the cauliflower & rinse it inside and out. Pat it dry & set it down onto a tea towel to drain off water from the inside, while you prepare the seasoning.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning, olive oil, minced garlic, & parmesan cheese. Mix well to combine.
- Turn the head of cauliflower upside down & carefully cut off most of the thick stem. Make sure not to cut off the area where the florets' stems attach.
- Spread the seasoning mix all over the cauliflower starting with the underside. Make sure to get the seasoning on the inside, between the stems to season the inside of the cauliflower. Turn it over & cover the outside of the cauliflower head with seasoning.
- Place seasoned cauliflower onto the prepared cast iron pan, stem side down & cover the pan & cauliflower with a sheet of aluminum foil tightly.
- Place into the oven and let it cook about 30 minutes.
- Take the aluminum foil off, raise the heat of the oven to 400 F. & place the pan with cauliflower back into the oven.
- Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. You can test if the cauliflower is done by inserting the fork and feel how easily it goes in.