If there was ever an ingredient celebrated for its versatility, it’s got to be cauliflower. Rice, gnocchi, pizza crust, sandwich wraps (why?!)— cauliflower can be just about anything you want it to be. But today let’s let cauliflower just be itself in its purest form: whole roasted.
As cholesterol-conscious humans, we do our best to eat a lot of plants in this house. I would venture to say that we are vegetarian almost all week long (until I cave and have pepperoni pizza on Friday). Pre-pizza though, I cook plenty of vegetable-forward dishes, and let me tell you, it’s hard to make a statement when it comes to presentation. It often seems that everything turns into some sort of “bowl.” Grain bowl, rice bowl, Mexican bowl, Asian bowl… Well, not today, friends!
This is the Martha Stewart Roast Chicken of plant-based entrées. A whole head of cauliflower is roasted until perfectly golden brown, nestled a spicy tomato sauce, covered in crunchy, toasted almonds and tons of fresh herbs. It’s savory, comforting and so satisfying. I like to serve this dish with Greek yogurt, feta, warm pita or rice. Real rice though, because cauliflower is just cauliflower today.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- crushed red pepper to taste
- 1-28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 2 large handfuls baby kale, spinach or arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F, and prepare the cauliflower. Remove and discard any outer leaves, and trim the stem so that the head can sit flat. Then, use a sharp knife to make two crosswise slices up the core, as deep as you can go without breaking it apart. This speeds up the cook time.
Grease the bottom of a large, oven-safe skillet, baking pan or Dutch oven with about three tablespoons of olive oil. Place the cauliflower on top, and generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the garlic powder, cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika over the top. Generously drizzle with more olive oil. Cover, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until golden brown and fork tender, about 15 minutes more. If you find that the cauliflower is taking longer, you can splash a little water in the bottom of the pan, recover it and cook an additional 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the chopped almonds in a large sauce pan over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown, three-five minutes. Remove and set aside. Coat the same pan with another couple of tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, about three minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook another minute. Next, add the remaining smoked paprika, coriander, cumin and a good pinch of crushed red pepper. Toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Finally, add the tomatoes and olives. Stir to combine, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is cooked through.
When the cauliflower is ready, wilt your chosen greens (kale, spinach or arugula) into the tomato sauce. To plate, spoon the sauce into a shallow bowl or platter. Set the cauliflower on top, and garnish with toasted almonds, parsley and cilantro. Serve immediately.
