This crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic is gluten-free, no breadcrumbs, no breading! The crispiness comes from roasting alone. It's one of my favorite easy weeknight go-tos, and uses just 4 ingredients!
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This roasted cauliflower is one of those recipes that are in my regular weeknight rotation. And why wouldn't it be? Crispy cauliflower loaded with parmesan and garlic would make anyone's weeknight better. It's blissfully easy and endlessly flavorful.
It has a wonderful mix of textures. The little bits and edges of the cauliflower get so crispy and browned, and the larger pieces get soft, and sweeten as they are roasted. Then we'll slather it in a luscious garlic olive oil that's got just a hint of heat.
We are making this roasted cauliflower crispy AND gluten free! NO breading! How do we do it? It's all in the way you slice up the cauliflower. We'll get lots of little tiny bits that fall away from the slices, and they crisp up better than any breadcrumb ever could.
If, like me, you can never have too much cauliflower, try my Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Brie!
Jump to:
- Roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic is a simple weeknight side dish that's oh-so-crispy!
- Ingredients you'll need
- Recommended tools and equipment
- The secret to crispy cauliflower is how you slice it!
- How to make crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic
- Tips for crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan
- What to serve alongside
- More roasted vegetable recipes
- Recipe
Roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic is a simple weeknight side dish that's oh-so-crispy!
- Just 4 ingredients! You can't go wrong with a 4-ingredient recipe. (Not counting the olive oil and salt...)
- Little bits of the roasted cauliflower florets fall away from the slices and get super crispy!
- Thin shreds of parmesan give us salty, umami bites throughout.
- Doesn't simmering chopped garlic in olive oil until it softens and sweetens and permeates everything just sound soooo good? Yes, it does!
- It's vegetarian and gluten free!
- Serve it from the sheet pan for easy cleanup! Who cares about a serving plate when it's going to get eaten this fast!
Ingredients you'll need
- Head of cauliflower: Look for cauliflower that is nice and white and free of black spots. I like to get the largest head of cauliflower I can find. Especially if I am paying by the piece, not by the pound. It will cook down considerably. Don't be afraid to dig around in that produce bin until you find a bigger one!
- Parmesan cheese: Roasted cauliflower loves parmesan cheese! Use real parmigiano reggiano for the best salty flavor and grate it yourself. See tips below.
- Garlic: We'll chop the garlic finely, then let it swim in olive oil over low heat.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: This will add just a little kick of spice to the dish.
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
Recommended tools and equipment
- Chef's knife and cutting board: For slicing the cauliflower and chopping the garlic.
- Sheet pan: To roast the cauliflower.
- Small saucepan and silicone spatula: So we can simmer the garlic in olive oil with crushed red pepper until it's just divine, and drizzle all over the roasted cauliflower.
- Box grater: To grate the parmesan cheese.
- Mixing bowl: To mix the roasted cauliflower with the parmesan and garlic oil. (But you could also just do this on the sheet pan if you want.)
The secret to crispy cauliflower is how you slice it!
More surface area = more crispy cauliflower. So how do we get that? We are cutting the cauliflower into thin slices, NOT big rounded florets.
When the cauliflower slices are roasted, they have a big, flat side that is entirely in contact with the hot sheet pan so a lot more of it gets crispy.
Then we flip it over so the other side gets the same treatment. That's a double crispy!
How to make crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic
Step 1: Slice the cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven.
Remove the leaves and cut the cauliflower into quarters. Cut out the hard, bottom part of the stem, leaving as much of the florets connected to the remaining stem as possible.
Starting at the wide end, take each quarter and cut it into thin slices.
You'll end up with some nice big fan-like slices of cauliflower, and work your way down to crumbly, tiny florets toward the end. This is good. This is where we get the crispy bits!
Step 2: Let's get that cauliflower roasted!
Divide the cauliflower between two sheet pans and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and toss to coat.
Roast the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, until it is beginning to get brown and crispy on the bottom. Remove from oven, flip the cauliflower over, then rotate the pan that was on top to the middle and vice versa.
Continue roasting for another 10-20 minutes until cauliflower is roasted and crispy.
Step 3: Grate the parmesan
While the cauliflower roasts, grate the parmesan on the small side of a box grater and set aside.
Step 4: Make the garlic oil
Chop the garlic finely. In a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until the garlic is softened and fragrant, but not brown.
Put the crispy roasted cauliflower into a large bowl, add the garlic-olive oil mixture and most of the parmesan, and stir to combine. Transfer to a serving plate (or don't...) and top with remaining cheese.
Tips for crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan
- Cook time for the roasted cauliflower is approximate. How big it is, the amount of water in it, how thin you slice it, how much is on the pan, these will all affect the total time. It should start to brown around 20 minutes. Just keep an eye on it from there on out.
- I prefer to grate my own parmesan cheese from the block with a box grater, and grate into thin strands, instead of grating into a powder. This rewards you with well-placed, salty, cheesy surprises in each bite, instead of something that just coats everything with no rhyme or reason.
- Roasted cauliflower is hearty and can take bold flavor, so I like a LOT of garlic and a decent amount of crushed red pepper. But you can adjust and use more or less as your taste dictates. And that is a wonderful thing.
- This crispy cauliflower tastes great at room temperature! So if you're short on oven space, get it roasted first, then set aside. Add the warm garlic-olive oil mixture just before serving and top with parmesan.
What to serve alongside
You can serve crispy roasted cauliflower with parmesan and garlic alongside so many different dishes! It can be a great side dish for meat, or part of a roasted vegetable feast! You can even add this to a hearty salad.
Try it with a Cast Iron Skillet Steak that tastes just like the expensive steakhouse version at a fraction of the price! Oven Roasted Salmon with Citrus Herb Salsa Verde is roasted low and slow and has a super simple preparation.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Capers, and Lemon is perfect for anyone who loves all the salty, briny things! It will really complement the garlic in the roasted cauliflower, too. Boneless Leg of Lamb is elegant but easy to make, with Italian flavors that would pair perfectly with the parmesan cheese.
More roasted vegetable recipes
Who said roasted vegetables had to be boring? No one.
- Serve Charred Broccoli with Calabrian Chile Paste, Feta, and Lemon Yogurt Sauce when you want a unique and spicy side dish.
- Adding the beets to the dressing while they're still warm means these Oven Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese, Orange Vinaigrette, and Mint soak up all of that citrus flavor.
- These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios, Dates, and Lime are roasted whole until they are absolutely meltingly delicious.
Recipe
Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoon chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven.
- Remove the leaves and cut the cauliflower into quarters. Cut out the hard, bottom part of the stem, leaving as much of the florets connected to the remaining stem as possible.
- Starting at the wide end, take each quarter and cut it into thin slices. You'll end up with some nice big fan-like slices of cauliflower, and work your way down to crumbly, tiny florets toward the end. This is good. This is where we get the crispies!
- Roast the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, until it is beginning to get brown and crispy on the bottom. Remove from oven, flip the cauliflower over, then rotate the pan that was on top to the middle and vice versa. Continue roasting for another 10-20 minutes until cauliflower is browned and crispy.
Notes
- I like to get the largest head of cauliflower I can find. Especially if I am paying by the piece, not by the pound. Don't be afraid to dig around in that produce bin until you find a bigger one!
- Roasting time for the cauliflower is approximate. How big it is, the amount of water in it, how thin you slice it, how much is on the pan, these will all affect the total time. It should start to brown around 20 minutes. Just keep an eye on it from there on out.
- I prefer to grate my own parmesan cheese from the block with a box grater, and grate into thin strands, instead of grating into a powder. Pre-grated tends to get a bit dried out. Grating it yourself will give you better flavor over all and will also save you a bit of money.
- This crispy cauliflower tastes great at room temperature. So if you're short on oven space, make it first, just wait to add the garlic-olive oil mixture until just before serving.
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