The lazy runner’s guide to roasting a whole cauliflower

Considering the number of recipes I have saved on my Pinterest account, I could be eating a new dish every day for the rest of my life. There are some that I’ve pinned a number of times which should be a good indication that I really want to try making it some day. That’s what happened with a whole roasted cauliflower. Taking away the work of cutting a head of cauliflower into florets, and just having to drizzle oil and spices over the whole head seemed too easy to be true. Would it cook all the way through? Would you get the same yummy crispiness that roasted cauliflower pieces have? Would it be flavourful? It turns out, the answer to all these questions is yes.

Perfect for a summer appetizer to be shared in a group, or as part of the main course, a whole roasted cauliflower at once is everything it’s cracked up to be. There are a number of recipes online that use lots of ingredients to coat and flavour the cauliflower. However, I wanted to keep mine as simple as possible. I knew there would be leftovers, and I wanted to be able to use them for a variety of other dishes. Using butter olive oil (yes it’s a real thing) and a couple of spices, I had the perfect subtly seasoned cauliflower. It’s easy to make, and is great on it’s own, or dipped in your favourite dressing. This one is very versatile– and extremely easy– dish that could even impress a cauliflower-hater.

RELATED: The runner’s summer menu

Whole roasted cauliflower

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 head of cauliflower
– 2-3 tbsp olive oil
– salt and pepper to taste
– chili powder
– cayenne pepper
– parsley to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Trim the bottom of the cauliflower and remove all the leaves and hard stem without breaking apart the head.
3. Place the cauliflower into an oven proof dish then drizzle olive oil over top. Be relatively generous in your drizzling as it’s what’s going to crisp up the cauliflower. Use your hands to spread the oil around so that it’s even.
4. Season with salt and pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper to your desired spiciness.
5. Cover the cauliflower with foil so there are no gaps.
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife slides in easily. Once cooked, remove the foil and place back in the oven for another 5-15 minutes until it turns golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley. Slice and serve, sprinkling with salt and/or butter.