Whole Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower
A showstopping whole head, parboiled so it is tender to the core, then basted with garlic-herb butter and roasted until deep golden under a parmesan crust.
Nutrition per serving
1 wedge- Net carbs
- 5.3g
- Calories
- 137kcal
- Protein
- 5.5g
- Fat
- 10g
- Total carbs
- 8.4 g
- Fiber
- 3.2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Tandoori-spiced: A tangy yogurt marinade with cumin, turmeric, ginger and chili roasts into a charred, deeply spiced crust. Serve with cilantro and lime.
- Whisk the yogurt with the ghee, oil, garlic, cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper into a thick paste.
- Spread it all over the parboiled, dried head and roast 40–45 minutes without basting, until charred in spots and tender at the core. Scatter with cilantro and serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Dairy-free with tahini sauce: Roasted in cumin-scented olive oil and drizzled with a garlicky lemon-tahini sauce — Middle Eastern-style, and dairy-free.
- Brush the head with all the olive oil mixed with the garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, and roast 40–45 minutes, basting, until deep golden.
- Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 2–4 tablespoons of cold water until smooth and pourable. Drizzle it over the roasted cauliflower and finish with parsley.
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 tsp Italian seasoningleave out -
½ cup Parmesanleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 tsp Italian seasoningleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $7.35 for 6 servings ($1.23 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring a large pot of salted water, big enough to submerge the head, to a boil.
-
Lower the cauliflower in stem side down and simmer 5–6 minutes, until a skewer meets only slight resistance at the core. Lift it out with two large spoons and let it steam-dry in a colander for 5 minutes. (No big pot? Microwave it in a covered bowl with 3 tablespoons of water for 6–8 minutes.)
-
Stir the melted butter, oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper together.
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Set the cauliflower in a cast-iron skillet or small baking dish and brush the garlic butter all over, working it into the gaps between the florets.
-
Roast 35–40 minutes, basting with the butter from the pan every 15 minutes, until deep golden brown and a knife slides into the core with no resistance.
-
Sprinkle with the parmesan and roast 5–8 minutes more, until it melts into a golden crust. Rest 5 minutes, scatter with parsley and cut into wedges at the table, with lemon for squeezing.
Tips for success
-
Parboiling is the step that makes it work: without it, the outside burns before the dense core turns tender. - Dry the head well after boiling so the butter clings and the surface browns instead of steaming.
- Spoon chimichurri or tzatziki over the wedges, or serve alongside roast chicken or a ribeye.
Nice to have, not needed
- A cast-iron skillet collects the butter for basting and doubles as a serving dish — any small baking dish works.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Reheat wedges in a 400°F (200°C) oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes.
Prep tip: Leftover wedges chop into a quick hash with fried eggs or a batch of cauliflower "potato" salad.
Refrigerate wedges up to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes. Not ideal for freezing.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosTandoori-spiced
FlavorA tangy yogurt marinade with cumin, turmeric, ginger and chili roasts into a charred, deeply spiced crust. Serve with cilantro and lime.
- butter → ghee
- + ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- + 1 tsp ground cumin
- + ½ tsp ground turmeric
- + 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- + ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- + ½ cup cilantro
- no Parmesan
- no Italian seasoning
6.3 g net · 122 kcal · 5 g protein · 8.2 g fat · ≈$1.26 per serving (+1 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free with tahini sauce
DietRoasted in cumin-scented olive oil and drizzled with a garlicky lemon-tahini sauce — Middle Eastern-style, and dairy-free.
- butter → extra olive oil
- Parmesan → tahini
- + 2 tbsp lemon juice
- + 1 tsp ground cumin
- no Italian seasoning
6.4 g net · 147 kcal · 4.4 g protein · 11 g fat · ≈$1.17 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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