Whole. Roasted. Cauliflower!
Can that be any more awesome! This was the centerpiece for our Thanksgiving dinner this year and is now in the rotation whenever I entertain. For a dramatic presentation, place the cauliflower at the center of the table and carve it up in front of your guests!
I roast it with a simple rub of olive oil and salt and it comes out tender on the inside and beautifully browned on the outside. Serve it with your favorite sauces to go with whatever else you are making. Gravy, tomato sauce, pesto, lemon herb oil. The possibilities are endless!
You can easily roast this on a baking sheet or if you have a cast iron skillet, use that. If you do, be sure you have a silicone sleeve for the handle or remember to use a hot hand when taking it out of the oven.
Another note. This roasts in about an hour at 450. But if you are making other dishes and need your oven at 350, you can roast the cauli for an hour and a half to two hours. Just be sure to time yourself and it will work out!
1 head of cauliflower
Olive oil, about 1/4 cup, or more if necessary
Salt, a few pinches
Peel the leaves off the bottom of the cauliflower and cut the stem up to about the level of the florets at the bottom of the head of cauliflower. Stand it upright on the baking vessel.
Use a pastry brush, or your hands, to cover the entire head of cauliflower with oil. Be generous. Sprinkle it with a few pinches of salt.
Roast in a 450 oven for about an hour or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.
Slice and serve. Enjoy with your favorite sauces!