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This roasted whole cauliflower recipe is brushed with seasoned butter and oven-roasted under a crispy parmesan cheese coating.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Savory seasonings and a cheesy crust give this whole roasted cauliflower recipe a flavor upgrade.
- Skill Level: The oven does all the work in this recipe. Make it do double duty alongside chicken or a meatloaf.
- Recommended Tools: A Dutch oven is perfect for roasting a whole cauliflower. Check for doneness by inserting a cake tester or metal skewer into the center before adding cheese in Step 5.
Ingredient Tips for Roasted Cauliflower
- Cauliflower: Look for whole heads that are fresh, firm, and free of blemishes. This recipe uses a 2 lb head. If you use a larger head, be sure to adjust the baking time.
- Butter Spread: Real butter always tastes best. Be sure the seasoned butter is melted so it gets into every nook and cranny of the cauliflower.
- Seasonings: Garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper are all it takes to make this recipe taste great, but chopped fresh herbs can be added too.
Favorite Variations
- For meal prep, double up on the buttery rub and bake the cauliflower with other root veggies like baby potatoes, carrots, turnips, or onions in the same Dutch oven.
- Feel free to substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter, or drizzle some fresh lemon juice.
- Start with the basic garlic butter in this recipe, or season to match the menu. Go for a zesty Cajun or a spicy taco seasoning.
Try Serving With These Side Sauces…
Storing Roasted Cauliflower
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to a zippered bag to freeze for up to one month.
- Cut leftover cauliflower into small pieces and serve under chicken curry or a stir fry.
More Crowd-Pleasing Cauliflower Dishes
Did you love this Whole Roasted Cauliflower? Leave us a comment and rating below.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe features a whole head of cauliflower brushed with homemade garlic butter and baked until tender.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower 2 pounds
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Trim leaves from the base of the cauliflower.
- Combine butter, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Brush mixture over the entire cauliflower head.
- Place cauliflower in a large Dutch oven*, cover, and bake for 40 minutes or until tender.
- Uncover, sprinkle on parmesan cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is browned and crispy. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Optional: For softer cauliflower, add 2 tablespoons of broth or water to the bottom of the pan.
*If you don’t have a Dutch oven, this can be baked in a dish and covered with foil.
Test for doneness with a metal skewer.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 100 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
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I liked very much, very simple and delicious.
Like so many comments below, this was nowhere near cooked after the stated time. Ended up chopping into small pieces and cook it properly. Disappointing.
It was good, could really taste the lemon zest, but could have used more salt/pepper, or something else to up the flavor. I didn’t have shredded parm but will try that next time, maybe that would have helped.
Just wondering if one covers the cauliflower with foil and then the lid or just the foil?
Cover with the foil and the lid! Enjoy Heather!
Are this tonight and it was excellent.
I am not a big cauliflower either but I love it so much that I almost ate half of it myself
I am so glad to hear this was a hit Angelica!
I don’t usually comment on recipes I get, just jump to the recipe and see if I like it. Normally I rice it up and eat it raw, But I more or less used this recipe and it is AMAZING, thank you! Used garlic paste and grated lemon skin, that did it.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Lisa!
Followed directions as written. Cauliflower was not cooked through after 30 minutes. I cooked it another 15 minutes. Finally had to finish broiling it and get it on the table as it was getting late for dinner. It was undercooked after 45 minutes. Not sure if it needed some liquid (water/stock) in the bottom of the pan or my cauliflower was too big and I should have cut it up in the pan before roasting? I probably could have cooked it for another half hour.
Hi Tony, it is possible that your head of cauliflower was on the larger side. That would definitely result in it needing more time. But this recipe does call for it to be cooked 30 mins with tinfoil, and additional 15 without the foil, and then broiled at the end to finish off. So it does take close to an hour to fully cook.