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4.67 from 6 votes

Oven-Roasted Whole Cauliflower Recipe

Tender cauliflower stuffed with garlicky, herb-y cheese stands in for pull-apart bread loaf
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: anti-aging, cauliflower, grain-free, plant-based
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2+1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 10 cloves garlic (half a head)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • chopped fresh herbs
  • crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup prepared marinara sauce or basil pesto (or both!)

Instructions

Roast Cauliflower and Garlic

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head and trim the center core so that it is flush with the base of the cauliflower head. You are trying to get the cauliflower to sit up straight on the flat surface of a skillet or roasting pan.
  • Rub the cauliflower head all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place the cauliflower in a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet, add about ¼ cup of hot water to the skillet, wrap the cauliflower with aluminum foil and seal around the pan as best you can.
  • Drizzle garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap cloves in a square of aluminum foil.
  • Place pan and foil packet with garlic cloves in oven and roast cauliflower for 45 minutes, or until a fork inserted into a floret goes in and out easily.
  • Remove garlic cloves from oven, cool, then peel. Remove foil from cauliflower, and roast uncovered for 15 minutes or until florets start to brown and "dry out" a little.
  • Remove cauliflower from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Prep Cheese for Stuffing

  • While cauliflower is roasting uncovered for the last 15 minutes, smash roasted garlic cloves with a fork in a small bowl. Stir in dried herbs and shredded cheese.
  • Once the cauliflower is cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes, it will still be very warm to the touch) wiggle the florets of the cauliflower around and stuff cheese-herb mixture in between the florets. Some of the florets may come loose, which is okay, Just try to put them back into generally the same place, and add some of the shredded cheese mixture, which will "glue" the cauliflower together when it melts.
  • Turn on broiler in oven. Place stuffed cauliflower, uncovered, back into oven and broil until the cheese melts, starts to bubble, and cauliflower has turned golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  • Pull on one of the florets to make sure it will "pull apart." Garnish with additional fresh chopped herbs and crushed red pepper.
  • Serve with forks and marinara sauce for dipping.
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