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Bon Appétit

Roasted Cauliflower With Capers and Parmesan

4.8

(69)

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If the roasted vegetables you make at home tend to emerge from the oven flabby and pale, you might be cooking them at the wrong temperature and in the wrong position. The best way to achieve browning is to roast vegetables toward the bottom of a blazing hot oven (at least 425°). The intense heat radiates upward from the oven floor and causes the part of the vegetable in contact with the sheet tray to crisp and caramelize, so they don’t just slowly steam and turn to mush.

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What you’ll need

Ingredients

4 servings

1

large head of cauliflower (about 2½ pounds)

5

tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

1

ounce Parmesan

2

tablespoons capers, drained, divided

1

lemon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Arrange a rack in lowest position of oven; preheat to 450°. Place 1 head of cauliflower on a cutting board and snap off green outer leaves. Use knife to shave off end of stem to create a flat surface on which the cauliflower can stand upright.

    Step 2

    Starting from one end, cut entire head of cauliflower into ½" slices, letting the pieces fall where they may. The pieces connected to the root will remain intact in planks.

    Step 3

    Transfer cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 3 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss with your hands to make sure pieces are evenly coated, then arrange so they’re resting on a flat cut surface.

    Step 4

    Roast cauliflower on bottom rack until pieces are browned around the edges and undersides are deeply browned all over, 25–30 minutes.

    → You can serve roasted vegetables cold too, you know

    Step 5

    While cauliflower is roasting, grate 1 oz. Parmesan on the large holes of a box grater. Set aside about half for garnishing.

    Step 6

    Coarsely chop 1 Tbsp. capers, then toss all capers in a small bowl with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze in juice.

    → What even are capers, anyway?

    Step 7

    When cauliflower is ready on the first side, remove baking sheet from oven and place on a work surface. Using a spatula, turn pieces over so browned sides are facing up. Sprinkle Parm NOT set aside for garnish over cauliflower.

    Step 8

    Return sheet to oven and continue to roast until second side of cauliflower is browned and Parm is toasty smelling and browned, 10–12 minutes.

    Step 9

    Let cool a few minutes, then transfer cauliflower to a plate with spatula and drizzle lemon-caper dressing over.

    Step 10

    Season with a bit more salt and pepper, then top with reserved Parm.

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Reviews (69)

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  • This is so good I’m making it for the second time this week. Yum!

    • Emily

    • Cuba, NY

    • 9/8/2023

  • Easily one of our favorite recipes! It's really SO easy to make and has such good flavor. We did lots of cauliflower steaks in our house and have used this recipe for them lately. It pairs well with a lot.

    • LDA120

    • Grand Rapids, MI

    • 1/12/2022

  • I have been cartelizing cauliflower for many years. I do mine in a cast iron frying pan at high temp. Not too worried about perfectly flat steak type prep. Plenty of olive oil and turn several times to brown on all sides. Love the lemon , caper and parmesan sauce!

    • Anonymous

    • 11/11/2021

  • absolutely delicious! Cant wait to make this again.

    • Paula

    • New Haven, CT

    • 7/30/2021

  • One of our favorites, just like it is written.

    • Anonymous

    • Grants Pass, OR

    • 12/16/2020

  • Made this 2 weeks ago. Delicious. Making it again tonight. Follow the recipe exactly. It will be perfect.

    • Phiphiglenn

    • Gastonia, NC

    • 11/9/2020

  • yum :)

    • Anonymous

    • 6/6/2020

  • Claire2020

    • KHcassidy

    • Philadelphia

    • 5/10/2020

  • Excellent side dish during Covid-19 crazy times!!!!

    • Anonymous

    • Becket, Ma

    • 5/5/2020

  • This recipe is so good! I added the recipe to pasta and it was delicious. Made it again this week, except instead of lemon, i put it with marinara sauce, pasta and parsley. It was insanely delicious! The baked cauliflower with the Parmesan makes it. I would 100% recommend making this dish.

    • Lucia Grigoli

    • USA

    • 4/29/2020

  • Oh my gosh! This was so good. I made it for dinner and between the two of us it was devoured in minutes. To be fair I did only have a much smaller cauliflower in the fridge but we’re probably (definitely?) going to make this again tomorrow. So tangy and crunchy and tender and salty and just SO good. Did I say that already? But seriously. Go. You need to make this right now.

    • Kim Slabbert

    • South Africa

    • 4/4/2020

  • So simple yet so good! The key is to get that caramelisation and crispiness, if your cauliflower doesn't look as browned after the initial roast then leave them for another 5 minutes. The acidity of the lemon and the funky saltiness of the parm is clutch.

    • Anonymous

    • Australia

    • 3/27/2020

  • Amazing!!! I loved the crispy caramelized bits mixed with the acidity of the lemon and salty capers yumm...

    • yannin sierra

    • Richardson,TX

    • 11/28/2019

  • My wife and I loved the recipe! Easy to prepare and I am a beginner.

    • mikermeals

    • Chicago

    • 10/22/2019

  • Turned out beautifully, the capers and lemon juice set it off nicely and it paired with chicken and seasoned rice perfectly. Will definitely be making it again.

    • Anonymous

    • KC

    • 10/1/2019

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