Whole Roasted Cauliflower is a side dish that’s delicious, impressive, and good for you! Seasoned with aromatic Italian notes like olive oil, Italian seasoning mix, parmesan cheese, and fresh garlic.
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Cauliflower’s been our favorite vegetable for so many years. It’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients so incredibly versatile, you can turn it into so many different things. There’s Cauliflower Rice, Mashed Cauliflower, and Cauliflower Pizza Crust – just to name a few! (Have you tried cauliflower “mac” and cheese?!)
With all of the different shapes and consistencies that cauliflower can take on, it’s easy to forget just how delicious it is in its original form. That’s just one of the numerous reasons I’m so in love with this simple whole roasted cauliflower recipe.
It’s a great side dish for all who love cauliflower (just like me), because it’s the vegetable at its most simple, but it’s also so wonderfully enhanced.
The enhancing ingredients that make this cauliflower recipe so good include olive oil, Italian seasoning mix, garlic, parmesan cheese, and more. All of those ingredients come together to create a wonderful aromatic experience of Italian flavors, and they also compliment the natural flavors of the veggie.
Ingredient Notes and Tips
Cauliflower – Try to avoid cauliflower heads that have any dark spots. If you do have any dark spots, you may still be able to salvage the vegetable by slicing off the brown spots with a knife, but it’s best to get a purely white cauliflower head.
Olive Oil – use olive oil that has a light and mild taste and high burn point. You can also use avocado oil, it’s a great substitution for olive oil.
Garlic Cloves – Make sure to use fresh garlic for the best results! Pre-minced or paste garlic will not yield the smell or flavor we’re aiming for.
Italian Seasoning – If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, you can substitute with herbs you most likely have in the pantry already. The most important ones are basil and oregano. Most Italian seasoning blends include dried herbs like basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and/or sage, so you can always make your own.
Parmesan Cheese – for the best flavor, be sure to either freshly grate the parmesan cheese off the block yourself, or get some at the deli section of your local grocery store.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Roast Wole Cauliflower
Prepare the cauliflower.
Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and give it a good rinse. Pat it dry and let it continue to drain off water onto a towel.
Combine the seasonings, olive oil, pressed garlic, and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
Turn the cauliflower head upside down and cut off the majority of the thick stem. DON’T cut off the area where the florets’ stems attach.
Starting with the underside, spread the seasoning mix all over the cauliflower. For the best results, get the mixture on the inside of the cauliflower between the stems.
Turn it back over and cover the head with seasoning as well.
Cook the cauliflower.
Place the cauliflower stem side down onto a cast iron pan that’s been lightly greased. Cover the pan and cauliflower tightly with aluminum foil.
Cook the cauliflower in an oven preheated to 375°F for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, then increase the heat to 400°F. Roast the cauliflower uncovered for 30 minutes.
If you want a crispier top, turn the broiler on and keep an eye on your cauliflower to make sure it doesn’t burn!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely prep the cauliflower ahead of time and then bake it when you’re ready! Prepare the cauliflower right up to the step of baking and then wrap it in a plastic wrap airtight and refrigerate for about a day.
Place it up side down in the refrigerator – you can place it inside the bowl so it doesn’t roll. Take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking and follow the remaining steps of the recipe to bake it. It’s that easy!
You can serve it whole and slice it at the dinner table like a cake. That way, you still get to enjoy the presentation of the picturesque whole cauliflower. Serve the wedges with your favorite main dishes! Here are just a few of my favorite entrees to plate with a slice of roasted cauliflower.
Italian Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Whole Baked Salmon Filet
Chicken Milanese
Pan Seared Steak
If you have leftover whole roasted cauliflower, you can choose to reheat it whole (whatever is left), cut it into steaks, or cut it into smaller florets. If you choose to cut it, you can reheat it easily in the oven, in the pan on stove-top, or in an air-fryer.
To reheat it whole, it’s best to do it in the oven. Place the leftover cauliflower head onto a cast iron skillet and reheat it at 350°F, until heated through in the center. You can reheat the cut cauliflower the same way in the oven as well, it will just take less time.
To reheat on stove-top, preheat the skillet over medium heat, add a little oil, and reheat the cauliflower pieces until hot.
In the air-fryer, reheat to cut cauliflower chunks at 360°F for about 3-4 minutes.
More Cauliflower Side Dish Recipes
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 1/2-2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher coarse salt more or less to taste
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly grease a cast iron skillet.
Prepare the cauliflower:
- Remove all the outer leaves of the cauliflower and rinse it inside and out. Pat it dry and set it down onto a clean tower to drain off water from the inside, while you prepare the seasoning.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning, olive oil, pressed garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well to combine.
- Turn the head of cauliflower upside down and carefully cut off most of the thick stem. Make sure not to cut off the area where the florets' stems attach.
- Spread the seasoning mix all over the cauliflower starting with the underside. Make sure to get the seasoning on the inside, between the stems to season the inside of the cauliflower. Turn it over, and cover the outside of the cauliflower head with seasoning.
Cooking Whole Cauliflower:
- Place seasoned cauliflower onto the prepared cast iron pan, stem side down, and cover the pan and cauliflower with a sheet of aluminum foil tightly.
- Place into the oven and let it cook about 30 minutes.
- Take the aluminum foil off, raise the heat of the oven to 400°, and place the pan with cauliflower back into the oven.
- Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. You can test if the cauliflower is done by inserting the fork and feel how easily it goes in.
- If you want to top of the cauliflower to be crispier, you can turn on the broiler for about a minute, but make sure to keep an eye on it.
Notes
- Storing: store leftover whole roasted cauliflower in a food storage container covered air-tight. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator. Stored properly, it should last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: If you have leftover whole roasted cauliflower, you can choose to reheat it whole (whatever is left), cut it into steaks, or cut it into smaller florets. If you choose to cut it, you can reheat it easily in the oven, in the pan on stove-top, or in an air-fryer.
To reheat it whole, it’s best to do it in the oven. Place the leftover cauliflower head onto a cast iron skillet and reheat it at 350°F, until heated through in the center. You can reheat the cut cauliflower the same way in the oven as well, it will just take less time.
To reheat on stove-top, preheat the skillet over medium heat, add a little oil, and reheat the cauliflower pieces until hot.
In the air-fryer, reheat to cut cauliflower chunks at 360°F for about 3-4 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April 2022.
Beth says
This was delicious. My daughters are vegan so I substituted nutritional yeast for the Parmesan cheese. Yum!
LyubaB says
Yum! Thanks for the tip for my vegan readers! I am so glad you liked it!
Barbara King says
I make it every single week these days. It is so versatile. I have eaten it straight out of the oven or we make cauli mash out of it. Wonderful Recipe.
Dee says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing
Pamela says
Our family loved it as well .it was a hit .my 3rd time making it. will be making it again followed recipe to the T.
Maybe I’ll try Pesto next time
Lisa Proctor says
First time to roast a whole head of cauliflower. It was fabulous! Followed the recipe except instead of Italian seasonings, I added pesto as another reviewer did. The cauliflower came out creamy and very tasty. Ate half the head for dinner one night and the other half for lunch the next day. Will be buying another head very soon, it’s on my grocery list! A must try. Easy recipe to follow.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it!
Claire Leonard says
I covered a pizza stone with foil and preheated it.
It’s in the oven now.
Patricia Colin says
I don’t have cast iron pans. What can be used in place of them
LyubaB says
Hi Patricia,
You could use an oven safe pan, one that has a metal handle and can withstand temperatures of 500 degrees. If you don’t have one you can use a thick baking sheet with a heavier bottom or even a cake pan that if you have one that is bigger then the cauliflower.
Karla Tremont says
This was so good and easy. I did however, add a heaping spoonful of pesto. My Italian husband loved it.
Chef John says
An excellent recipe! That was really tasty! I love cauliflower very much.
LyubaB says
Thank you! I am so glad you liked the recipe!