Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (2024)

Cauliflower gets a bad rap… for being turned into other things (mashed cauliflower or cauliflower pizza crust anyone?), and for being bland.

But if you’ve never tried roasting it, you simply have to give it a shot!

It wasn’t until I roasted cauliflower that I realized how amazing those little white florets could taste! So savory and full of flavor, with slightly charred edges and crispy tops.

In fact, I pretty much love to roast all kinds of vegetables now! Roasting brings out any natural sweetness, as well as concentrates the flavor of the vegetable. Plus, those crispy, charred edges justcallto me.

How to make parmesan roasted cauliflower?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Combine spices and oil. The best way to ensure the spices and oil evenly coat the cauliflower is to combine the two.
2. Coat cauliflower. Evenly pour the oil mixture over the florets and toss to combine well.
3. First roast. This first roast is what cooks the cauliflower most of the way through.
4. Add cheese and roast again. Waiting to add the cheese until the second roast ensures that it gets melty with crisp edges instead of hard and burnt.

Variations of this recipe

• Cauliflower – for this recipe you can use pre-cut florets, or buy a head of cauliflower and cut it into florets yourself.
• Oil – I typically use olive oil, but if you would prefer, you could use vegetable or avocado oil instead.
• Spices – if you’d like to play around with the spices used, please feel free.
• Garlic – try adding a few cloves of minced garlic to the oil and spices to really change up the flavor.
• Cheese – I highly recommend using a block of Parmesan and grating your own cheese (the flavor and meltability are unmatched), but in a pinch you can use pre-shredded/pre-grated.
• Other cooking methods – I haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer, and while I’m sure it could be done, my only concern is the melted cheese (that would make quite the mess in the basket). You could try using a cut piece of parchment paper, adding it after the air fryer has preheated. My best guess would be to cook at 390°F for about 7 minutes, then sprinkle with the cheese and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Making roasted cauliflower ahead of time

This recipe for cauliflower tastes best when it’s fresh and hot from the oven, like most roasted foods.

However, you can definitely do some things to cut down on your hands-on time.

How to prep ahead for this recipe:

• Cauliflower – the cauliflower can be cut into florets ahead of time and kept refrigerated. If you are using pre-cut florets, you can obviously skip this prep step.
• Spices/oil – the spices can be combined with the oil and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Cheese – the Parmesan can be grated/shredded and kept refrigerated.

Storage

Leftover cauliflower should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4 – 5 days.

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These baking sheets have been in my kitchen for years, with no warping! Plus, they’re economical and come in a ton of different sizes!

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