Roasted Parmesan Crusted Cauliflower
User Reviews
4.7
108 reviews
Excellent
Roasted Parmesan Crusted Cauliflower
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Recipe VIDEO above. The healthier version of the popular Parmesan Crusted Potatoes! Try it for dinner tonight - as a side, or as the main meal. Or how about passing it around at a gathering?
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Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower , firm not old and floppy
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- black pepper
- Oil spray (I use olive oil) (Note 1)
- finely chopped parsley , for garnish, if desired
Crust:
- 1/2 cup / 50g grated parmesan , the sand-like type (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan/convection).
- Mix Crust ingredients in a small bowl.
- Break cauliflower into large florets. Cut very large florets into 1.5cm / 3/5" thick slices, and the medium florets in half. You want a large flat surface area on each piece for the crust to adhere to.
- Line a baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 16") with paper.
- Drizzle tray with oil. Use a cauliflower to spread the oil all over the paper (see video).
- Sprinkle Crust mixture all over the tray, as evenly as possible. Don't touch it once scattered.
- Place cauliflower down on the Crust mixture, pressing down lightly. Don't jam them right up against each other (they will steam and go soggy), keep a tiny bit of space between each one.
- Spray generously with oil. Sprinkle with a bit of black pepper (optional).
- Bake for 20 minutes until crust is deep golden.
- Use tongs to turn the cauliflower so the crust side is up. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley or other herb, if desired.
Notes
- I prefer using oil spray rather than drizzling with oil because too much oil causes the crust to be a bit soggy. If you don't have oil spray, I would recommend tossing the cauliflower with 1 tbsp oil and reducing the oil drizzled on the tray to 1 1/2 tbsp.
- Please use the grated parmesan that has a sand-like consistency sold in the refrigerated section. I take no responsibility if you try this with the grated parmesan sold in the aisles!! However, a number of readers said they used the grated parmesan from the aisles for the Parmesan Crusted Potatoes (on which this recipe is based) and said it was delicious :)
- For freshly grated, use 50g/1.75 oz parmesan and a fine grater (microplane). Don't measure by cups because the volume of fresh grated parmesan is far greater than store bought for the same weight.
- Panko Breadcrumbs are slightly bigger and fluffier than normal breadcrumbs, so they create a better crunch. It can be substituted with normal breadcrumbs but reduce to 2.5 tbsp.
- CRISPINESS: This cauliflower version is not quite as crispy as the potato version, simply because cauliflower has a higher water content. To make it 100% crispy, you'd need to dredge in flour then egg then a crust with more panko in it. Which then makes this a completely different recipe - more labour intensive! :)
- But there's definite crispiness, you'll come across patches of it in each piece, and some pieces are more crispy than others.
- REHEATING: I find this doesn't reheat as well as the potatoes, simply because the water content in cauliflower is higher. What I've been doing with leftovers to reheat them is to preheat a tray in an oven at 220C/430F then drizzle with oil and spread using hand/paper/brush then put the cauliflower crust side down on the tray. Bake 5 - 10 minutes - don't cook too long, the soggier the cauliflower gets, the less crispy the crust is.
- Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
135g
Calories
153cal
(8%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5 as a side
Amount Per Serving
Calories 153 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 135g | |
| Calories | 153cal | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
108 reviews
Excellent
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