Description
Creamy homemade pesto roasted cauliflower brings Mediterranean flavors to your dinner table. Italian-inspired ingredients create a simple yet delicious side dish that highlights fresh herbs and crispy vegetable textures for complete satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3–4 tbsps (45–60 ml/1.5–2 fl oz) pesto
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- ½ lemon, juice
Instructions
- Preparation: Crank oven to 400°F (200°C) and drape aluminum foil across baking sheet for effortless release and cleanup.
- Floret Formation: Dissect cauliflower into uniform clusters, ensuring consistent roasting and even caramelization throughout the vegetable.
- Herbaceous Coating: Lavishly enrobe cauliflower with pesto in a spacious mixing vessel, massaging the verdant sauce into every crevice of the florets.
- Seasoning Layer: Dust with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, tenderly tumbling to distribute seasonings with precision.
- Roasting Arrangement: Choreograph florets across foil-lined sheet, creating strategic gaps to facilitate optimal heat circulation and crisp edges.
- Initial Roasting Phase: Dispatch into preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, monitoring until edges transform into golden, crackling fragments.
- Midpoint Transformation: Flip cauliflower with culinary finesse, ensuring comprehensive browning and textural complexity.
- Parmesan Embellishment: Cascade freshly grated Parmesan across roasted florets, constructing a savory, crisp architectural layer.
- Final Roasting Interval: Return to oven for 10-12 minutes, allowing cheese to melt and edges to achieve deep, rich caramelization.
- Finishing Touch: Extract from oven and cascade fresh lemon juice, awakening the dish with bright, citrusy undertones.
- Presentation: Optional garnish with additional pesto and Parmesan for heightened gastronomic appeal.
Notes
- Prevent Uneven Roasting: Cut cauliflower florets into similar sizes to ensure uniform cooking and golden-brown edges.
- Maximize Pesto Coverage: Gently toss florets in pesto using a large bowl, guaranteeing each piece gets an even, flavorful coating.
- Optimize Caramelization: Spread cauliflower in a single layer with space between pieces, allowing proper air circulation and crispy results.
- Enhance Flavor Finish: Squeeze fresh lemon juice immediately after roasting to brighten the dish and balance the rich, savory Parmesan and pesto flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg