Italian Cauliflower Recipes

ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• In medium microwavable bowl, cover and microwave cauliflower and water on High about 6 minutes, stirring once after 3 minutes, until tender; drain.
• Meanwhile, in 7-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in bread crumbs and basil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until bread crumbs are toasted. Stir in parsley. Sprinkle over cauliflower.

ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER RICE SKILLET

Steps:

• Brown the beef in a medium skillet over medium heat, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Once browned, drain the grease.
• Add the frozen cauliflower rice, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt to the beef along with ¼ cup of water. Stir well to combine.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 5 more minutes.
• Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese until melted.
• Sprinkle with basil or parsley before serving.

ITALIAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Combine the cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, dill, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, and olive oil in a large resalable bag; shake bag to evenly coat. Allow to marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Open the bag and season with salt and pepper; reseal the bag and shake again to coat. Pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

NORTHERN ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER GRATIN

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until crisp tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in milk and cream. Increase heat to medium and simmer, whisking frequently, until sauce starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil; continue to cook until sauce is thick, about 5 minutes.
• Stir Parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, salt, nutmeg, and white pepper into sauce. Cook, whisking vigorously, until cheese is melted into the sauce, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange cauliflower on top. Drizzle remaining sauce over the cauliflower, coating each floret.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 10 minutes.

ITALIAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, if desired. Pull the leaves off of the cauliflower base. Cut off the lower part of the stem.
• Cut the head of cauliflower into four quarters.
• Slice each quarter into 6-8 pieces. You want as many flat surfaces as possible on each floret-- the flat surfaces caramelize best. Caramelization is the key to giving the roasted cauliflower flavor-- those golden, sugary juices take this veggie from good to amazing.
• Give all the florets a thorough rinse in a colander. Shake them dry.
• Place the florets in a large bowl and drizzle them with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the minced garlic florets to the bowl. Toss the cauliflower florets till they're coated with olive oil and minced garlic.
• Spread the florets out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Reserve any small bits of cauliflower that have fallen away from the florets in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cauliflower florets lightly with pepper.Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and let the cauliflower roast for 10 minutes. While cauliflower is roasting, prep your other ingredients-- chop the parsley, juice the lemon, etc.
• After 10 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use tongs to turn over the florets, making sure that the florets with flat surfaces are pressed directly against the baking sheet. This will enhance caramelization. Sprinkle the reserved cauliflower bits onto the baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven. Let the cauliflower roast for 10-20 minutes longer till tender. When it's ready you will be able to pierce it easily with a fork.Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Spread it out on a large plate or platter and allow to cool.
• Throw the room temperature cauliflower into a salad bowl along with the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil, parsley, chopped olives, capers, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes are very spicy, add with care.
• Toss gently to combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add any salt because the olives and capers are salty, but some might like a touch of salt added to this dish). You can also add more olive oil to taste, if desired.
• Serve salad at room temperature. Italians like to serve this salad with warm freshly baked bread and copious amounts of olive oil. Served on its own the way I've described here, it is gluten free, low carb, and heart healthy.

ROASTED ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Toss together the cauliflower, tomatoes, olive oil, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the garlic on a baking sheet. Roast until the cauliflower browns in some spots and is tender, tossing about halfway through, about 20 minutes. Toss with a squeeze of lemon and the parsley. Serve warm.