Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Roasted cauliflower recipe is a fast and easy recipe that turns this unassuming and versatile vegetable into a star. Your family will soon be asking for this delicious side dish all the time!

 

Cauliflower is such a versatile ingredient that can be cooked in so many different ways, like this Mashed Cauliflower Recipe and Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole Recipe, and Cauliflower Steaks.

You may have noticed that it has become a very popular vegetable, especially as a substitute ingredient in recipes. It now appears as pizza crust, cauliflower wings, and even cauliflower rice.

Washing instructions

Like all fruits and vegetables, you need to make sure that the cauliflower is nice and clean before cooking it. You can get it cleaner by cutting it into florets first (see instructions below) before washing it.

1. Cut cauliflower into florets (see instructions below)
2. Fill a large bowl or tub (or your sink) with cold water.
3. Place the florets into the water and let them soak for several minutes.
4. After soaking, place them into a colander and rinse under a stream of cold water.
5. Shake off any excess water.
6. Pat dry the florets.

Ingredients

This Roasted Cauliflower Recipe is absolutely tasty and very easy to make. I think the best part of this recipe is that you can use any spice you like, such as:

• smoked paprika
• turmeric
• garlic powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• fine sea salt
• cauliflower
• extra virgin olive oil

I love hot spices. But if they are too strong for you, replace them with the ones you are used to. You can also add curry powder, red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic cloves, and even fresh herbs such as rosemary and cilantro. If you like a cheese flavor, you can also add some Parmesan cheese on top of the florets before baking. 

Cutting instructions

To cut the cauliflower into florets:

1. Pull all the leaves off the base of the cauliflower and cut off any excess stems.

2. Cut the head of it in half from top to bottom.

3. Cut each half piece in half through the core so that you end up with four quarters of the cauliflower.

4. Cut out the core by slicing between it and the florets. The florets should naturally separate; if any are too large, cut or break them into bite-sized pieces. Flat sides help with caramelization in the pan.

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

1. Mix together smoked paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set spice mixture aside.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Spread the florets out into a single layer on an aluminum foil or parchment paper-lined sheet pan (rimmed baking sheet) and pour/drizzle olive oil on top of them. Toss the florets until they are all evenly coated with oil. Then sprinkle the spice mixture over the florets, and mix well to combine.
5. Roast it until it is tender and golden brown.

You can prepare it ahead of time by cutting the cauliflower into florets and adding all the spices. Then, when it’s about 30 minutes before dinnertime, place it in the oven and bake it for about 25 minutes. Optional, you can also add some lemon zest and lemon juice on top of it before serving. 

Storing Leftovers

• To store: Place the leftover oven-roasted cauliflower in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days once it has cooled to room temperature.
• To reheat: Reheat leftovers in the oven, so they stay crispy.

More Cauliflower recipes to try:

I mentioned before how easy it is to incorporate cauliflower into other dishes, so now is your chance to try it for yourself. Check out this Cauliflower Fried Rice or this Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Skillet Recipe.

Or you can also try this delicious Cauliflower Casserole or this delicious Mashed Cauliflower Recipe.

What to serve with

This is the best side dish because it basically goes with any protein, such as salmon, chicken breast, seared steak, baked pork chops, and garlic butter shrimp. Hm… So good!! Also, you can serve it in tacos, making it a vegetarian or vegan meal. 

This is a great recipe to serve for holiday parties as well because it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like cauliflower, right?

If you like this Roasted Cauliflower Recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipe updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.