Two whole roasted cauliflower heads on a rimmed baking sheet with a glass jar of dressing and a spoon resting inside it.

4.67 / 3 votes

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

This whole roasted cauliflower is an easy and impressive side dish that's drizzled with a tangy lemon, olive oil, caper, and parsley dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 101

Ingredients

▢ 1 to 2 medium heads cauliflower, leaves removed
▢ 2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
▢ 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
▢ 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
▢ Freshly ground black pepper
▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
Using a paring knife, cut off the stem and carve out the inner core of the cauliflower, being careful to leave the head(s) intact.
Place the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle each head with 2 tablespoons oil and rub to coat it well. Sprinkle each head with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Roast the cauliflower until tender and golden, about 1 hour. Roasting time will vary based on the size of the cauliflower, so begin checking it after 40 minutes. How do you know when cauliflower is cooked through? Insert a small knife in the center of the head to check for doneness. It should meet little resistance. You may need to roast it longer than an hour.
☞ TESTER TIP: Due to the cauliflower’s slightly unpredictable roasting time, you may want to start it a little early and if it’s done before the rest of the meal, no worries, it can just sit at room temperature and will still taste quite fine.
While the cauliflower is roasting, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Taste and, if desired, add more lemon juice.
When the cauliflower is done, transfer it to a platter. Drizzle some of the lemon-caper sauce over each head, reserving any extra for passing at the table.
Sprinkle the cauliflower with the parsley and serve.
☞ TESTER TIP: Any leftover vinaigrette is also perfect on just about any other roasted vegetables or meat.

Notes

Roasted Cauliflower Florets

For a speedier, albeit less dramatic, version of this recipe, you could ditch the impressive whole-head treatment and proceed as you would with roasting any vegetable on a sheet pan: Simply break the cauliflower into large florets, toss with olive oil, and roast until tender and golden. Then drizzle with the lemon caper vinaigrette. Just as good. And in about half the time.

Nutrition