Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Whether as a side dish or an appetizer, this roasted cauliflower is a show stopper. Courtesy of Lauren Allen

View the print-ready version of this recipe.

Why I love this recipe:

• Easy—This whole roasted cauliflower recipe only takes 10 minutes to prep for the oven, with a handful of ingredients. Anyone can make it.
• Showstopper—It’s unique and absolutely delicious; the garnishes of tahini sauce, fresh mint and pepitas are my favorite part! It would make a beautiful side dish for a fancy dinner like, Christmas Beef Tenderloin.

How to Roast a Whole Cauliflower

Prep Cauliflower: Remove outer leaves away from the cauliflower and carefully cut the bottom so it’s flat, but be careful that it remains whole. Rinse it and pat it dry thoroughly and carefully with paper towels.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Season: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. Starting with the core up, drizzle seasoning all over, using a pastry brush to spread it around. Turn it head side up then season the top.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Roast: Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bottom of an oven-safe pan and then place cauliflower on pan. Apply lid (or cover the pan with aluminum foil) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until browned on top.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Tahini Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together then set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve: Add a layer of arugula to a serving dish then place the whole roasted cauliflower on top. Cut into wedges, like slices of cake, or cut into cauliflower steaks. Drizzle tahini sauce over it, then garnish with pepitas, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of flake salt.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower , 2lbs
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Tahini Sauce:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice , fresh squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-2 Tablespoon cold water , if needed, to thin sauce

Garnish:

• 2 Tablespoons pepitas
• 2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• pinch Sea salt or flake salt

Optional for Serving:

• Arugula leaves tossed in olive oil , salt and pepper

Instructions

Prep Cauliflower: Remove outer leaves away from the cauliflower and carefully cut the bottom so it’s flat, but be careful that it remains whole. Wash and dry thoroughly and carefully, with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Make seasoning: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.

Season Cauliflower: Starting with the core up, drizzle seasoning all over, using a pastry brush to spread it around. Turn it head side up and season the top.

Roast: Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bottom of an oven-safe pan. Place cauliflower on pan. Apply lid (or cover the pan with aluminum foil) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until browned on top.

Tahini Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Garnish: Add a layer of arugula, if using, to a serving dish. Use a large spatula (or two—one on each side) to carefully lift the cauliflower from the pot and place on serving dish. Drizzle tahini sauce over it, and garnish with pepitas, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of flake salt.

To serve, cut it into wedges, like slices of cake, or cut into cauliflower steaks.

Notes

Air Fryer Instructions: Follow the instructions above for preparing and seasoning the head of cauliflower. Place uncooked cauliflower in air fryer basket and cook at 360 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Every air fryer is a little different, so keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5 cup, Calories: 325 kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Sodium: 341mg, Potassium: 546mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 263IU, Vitamin C: 76mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 2mg

This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.

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