Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs

Instead of making mashed potatoes, try roasting your cauliflower instead. It’s surprisingly simple & the white color with roasted tips makes it look like a tasty carb but in fact it’s a veggie - win!  If you want to add a little crunch add the bread crumb topping - if you’re cutting out carbs skip it, it’s great just roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper & lemon juice (like I made here).

I used this recipe I found on food52.com & I’ll definitely be making this cauliflower (or as Chris calls it “white broccoli”) again.

How do you make your cauliflower?

PS: If you love this cauliflower you may also love these green beans &/or this roasted squash!

Ingredients (adapted from The Thin Chef’s food52.com recipe

• 1 large heads cauliflower
• 1/4 cup olive oil plus divided
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Make it!

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Trim tough stems & core from cauliflower & discard.
3. Using a paring knife, cut cauliflower into smaller spears.
4. Place in a large bowl.
5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper; toss to combine.
6. Spread cauliflower out on a large, rimmed baking sheets. Remember when roasting to make sure there is space between your veggies (like here) so they roast instead of steam (which will happen if the pan is too crowded) we’re going for the crispy caramelized texture here, so spread ’em out!
7. Roast until edges start to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
8. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
9. Add panko & remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt & stir to coat in oil.
10. Cook, stirring constantly, until bread crumbs are golden.
11. Add lemon zest & garlic & toss until mixture is very fragrant & bread crumbs are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
12. Place in a medium bowl and add parsley, stirring to combine. Set aside. (Truth be told you’re supposed to use twice as much cauliflower for these bread crumbs - but I just made this recipe for the two of us - since we weren’t haven’t any other carbs for dinner I used the full bread crumb recipe - yep, I did!)
13. Remove cauliflower from oven & place on serving platter.
14. Top with bread crumbs & serve immediately. There probably won’t be any leftovers, but if there are I think this would be a great addition to a salad for lunch!