Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Shallots, and Parmesan
Eating your vegetables doesn’t have to be boring, and this Roasted Cauliflower is living proof. It’s roasted along with garlic cloves and shallots until tender and caramelized, then it’s finished with freshly grated parmesan. It’s a healthy side dish that the entire family will love!
In my experience, most people either love cauliflower or hate it. I’ve always loved it, even when I was a child. My mom used to steam it and I would devour it floret after floret.
Now I rarely eat cauliflower steamed because I enjoy it so many other ways. My mashed cauliflower and cauliflower stuffing are wonderful low carb side dishes, and this fermented cauliflower is also a game changer for gut health because it’s packed with probiotics!
In my option, nothing compares to Roasted Cauliflower. Roasting caramelizes the cauliflower, which brings out its natural sweetness and promotes browning.
The caramelization is what makes this dish absolutely irresistible, and the garlic and shallots certainly don’t hurt either. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Cauliflower florets are tossed with garlic cloves and shallots and roasted until tender caramelized. It’s finished with parmesan cheese for the ultimate side dish.
- Oven roasted cauliflower is healthy, flavorful and perfect for dinner parties or busy weeknights.
- This dish is gluten-free and vegetarian, and may be made vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese.
Recipe ingredients
This recipe elevates basic roasted cauliflower with the addition of whole garlic cloves, shallots and parmesan cheese.
You can easily customize the ingredients to suit your family’s taste or if you have dietary restrictions.
Ingredient notes
- Cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into small- to medium-sized florets. Try to make the florets roughly the same size for even cooking. Using a whole head is more cost effective, but you may also purchase pre-cut cauliflower and cut the florets so that they’re the same size.
- Garlic. Roasted garlic has a sweet, mild flavor that pairs beautifully with the cauliflower. Leave the garlic cloves whole and unpeeled, then squeeze them from the skins before serving.
- Shallots. If you’ve never tried shallots, they’re very mild in flavor and are very sweet when they’re roasted. They can be substituted with your favorite onion if you prefer.
- Parmesan. I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself for the best flavor and texture for this recipe. Omit the cheese to make this recipe vegan.
How to roast cauliflower
This roasted cauliflower recipe is so easy to make and is sure to be a hit with everyone in the family.
Pro tip: Be sure to spread the ingredients in an even layer and don’t overcrowd the pan to prevent the vegetables from steaming and becoming mushy. Use two sheet pans if necessary and roast on the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cauliflower, garlic cloves and shallots in a large rimmed baking sheet, then add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Roast for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and gently squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels. Place the vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle with parmesan.
FAQ’s
Blot the cauliflower florets dry after washing, and be sure spread them out in an even layer in the baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd the pan as this will cause the cauliflower to steam and become soft and mushy.
This roasted garlic cauliflower is done in about 25-30 minutes in a 425 degree oven, depending on the size of the florets. It’s done when it’s tender and caramelized.
Frozen cauliflower may be roasted, but I prefer to use fresh cauliflower as it has a better texture when cooked. Frozen cauliflower tends to become mushy when roasted.
Serving suggestions
This roasted cauliflower recipe is extremely versatile and may be paired with any of your favorite main dishes such as baked salmon, oven baked pork chops, pan seared steak and spatchcock chicken.
It’s also great as a vegan or vegetarian main dish served in tortillas or with quinoa or your favorite pasta.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Be sure to spread the ingredients in an even layer and don’t overcrowd the pan to prevent the vegetables from steaming and becoming mushy. Use two sheet pans if necessary and roast on the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
- Purchasing a whole head of cauliflower is more cost effective than buying pre-prepped florets. Prep the cauliflower in advance to make this dish go even more quickly!
- Omit the parmesan cheese to make this recipe dairy free.
- Store roasted garlic cauliflower in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
More roasted vegetable recipes you’ll love:
- Oven roasted asparagus
- Oven roasted beets
- Roasted broccoli by Love and Lemons
- Roasted brussels sprouts and carrots
- Roasted carrots and parsnips
- Roasted green beans
- Roasted kabocha squash
- Roasted root vegetables
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Shallots and Parmesan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower cut into small to medium sized florets
- 1 head of garlic cloves separated and left unpeeled
- 3 large shallots peeled, and cut into 1/2″ slices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cauliflower, garlic cloves, and shallots in a large rimmed baking sheets. Add the salt, pepper, and olive oil, and toss to coat.
- Roast for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and gently squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels.
- Using a spatula, remove the vegetables from the pan and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Be sure to spread the ingredients in an even layer and don’t overcrowd the pan to prevent the vegetables from steaming and becoming mushy. Use two sheet pans if necessary and roast on the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
- Purchasing a whole head of cauliflower is more cost effective than buying pre-prepped florets. Prep the cauliflower in advance to make this dish go even more quickly!
- Omit the parmesan cheese to make this recipe dairy free.
- Store roasted garlic cauliflower in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This post was originally published in January 2013. The photos have been updated, and the text has been modified to include more recipe information and step by step instructions.
9 Comments on “Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Shallots, and Parmesan”
This looks beautiful I’m thinking of adding my own twist to it using some panchetto ham would you put this in at the start warm or cold
Thank you! I love never roasted pancetta ham so I think I’d sauté it and add after roasting.
I’ve never been a huge cauliflower person myself, and just recently started getting into it over the last few years. This is literally the best cauliflower I’ve ever eaten!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Rebecca! Roasted is definitely my favorite way to eat it. 🙂
Why is the garlic left unpeeled and what do you do with it after?
Thanks
Hi Ingrid…the garlic is eaten as the flavor has mellowed through roasting.
Just to be clear, I should take the skin off the garlic before eating it, but after roasting it. correct?
Yes Christopher — definitely remove the skin. I should probably include that in the recipe. 🙂
I think I ate this entire platter myself as well. haha Thank you for the feedback!