Easy Italian Roasted Cauliflower (Side Dish)
Easy Italian Roasted Cauliflower (Side Dish) is a healthy, easy, and quick side dish recipe that is bursting with flavor! Cheesy, garlicky, with crispy edges. This delicious cauliflower recipe is so versatile and has minimal clean-up!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 144kcal
Equipment
- 1 large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower washed trimmed and cut into bite-size florets
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic to your taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½-1 teaspoon chili flakes or to taste optional
- ½ cup pecorino Romano cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed optional
- additional grated cheese and chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil paper or parchment paper. The baking sheet should be big enough to hold the florets in a single layer. Place your lined baking sheet in the oven to preheat while you prepare the cauliflower.
- Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and add the cauliflower florets, flat sides down, on the heated baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasonings and use a spoon to toss until evenly coated. Spread cauliflower out in an even layer so the florets aren’t touching.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes without turning the cauliflower, or until cauliflower are fork tender and the edges are crispy and it has a nice color. Larger florets will need more time to get tender.
- If using grated cheese, sprinkle it on during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Remove the pan from the oven. If using, drizzle the tops with freshly squeezed lemon juice and some freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Prepping the cauliflower: I prefer to cut the cauliflower in 4 pieces, then work with each section cutting off the florets. Sometimes I use my hands to break off florets. Laying the flat cut side down makes it cook up more evenly and crispier.
- Cheese: I usually recommend freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, but go ahead and use a nice quality pregrated cheese. It gives the cauliflower a crispy edge that is so flavorful! You could use nutritional yeast to be dairy-free/vegan. It will have a really great flavor!
- Bake time: Depending on the size you cut up the florets, the baking time will slightly vary.
- Crispy cauliflower: Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper will help get a crispier crust on the florets.
- Air-fryer: Follow recipe instructions prepping the cauliflower. Once you have the cauliflower prepped and seasoned, place directly on the air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 12.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1164mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 988IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg