The Mediterranean baked cauliflower is too good. A side dish with a rustic look and intense flavor, and the scent is definitely delicious and lingering.

This cauliflower recipe has two goals: to give an extra idea to those who particularly love it and to convince those who don’t to cook it this way!

In this recipe, you will find all the Mediterranean aromas that blend wisely with the cauliflower, which generally has a rather pungent taste on its own.
This vegetarian side dish is very simple to make; you just need to choose a good cauliflower, and you’re good to go.

But how do you choose a good cauliflower? First, look at the color; the florets should be white without any spots, the body should be fleshy and firm, and it should preferably still have the leaves attached.

You should know that eating cauliflower not only improves health but also beauty because it protects the skin from free radicals and stimulates cell regeneration.

However, it’s a vegetable that surely deserves more opportunities in our diet. Nutritionally speaking, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants.

A good source of iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, and a good range of B vitamins, including folic acid.

This winter vegetable is definitely the star of this delicious recipe, but the co-stars are other ingredients that give their best: olives, capers, parmesan, and cherry tomatoes all contribute excellently to making this vegetarian side dish a super side!

Since nothing goes to waste in the kitchen, you can use the stem to make a vegetable soup or broth.

This dish can be cooked in both a traditional oven or an air fryer: both methods are described in the recipe.

If you feel like trying it right away, here’s the list of ingredients

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Boiling, Electric oven, Air frying
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring

157.86 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 157.86 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 19.11 (g) of which sugars 5.85 (g)
Proteins 8.96 (g)
Fat 6.26 (g) of which saturated 3.10 (g)of which unsaturated 2.78 (g)
Fibers 5.08 (g)
Sodium 956.37 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 180 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

1 cauliflower
1.76 oz black olives
to taste capers
10 cherry tomatoes
to taste dried oregano
1.41 oz breadcrumbs
1.76 oz parmesan (grated)
salt

Tools

Pot
Baking dish
Parchment paper
Olive pitter

Steps

I’m providing two cooking methods, classic or steamed, choose the one you prefer.
With a knife, remove the leaves surrounding the cauliflower, discard the unsightly ones, and set the others aside. If they are large, cut them in half.
Cut the stem and, with the knife, cut all the florets of the cauliflower.
“Try to cut the florets to the same size; this way, they will cook more evenly.”
Classic cooking method for cauliflower Boil them for about 8 minutes in salted boiling water. Cooking times may vary based on size; if they are not all the same size, you can add the larger florets first and the smaller ones after 2-3 minutes; aim for a tender consistency while keeping the florets intact by the end of cooking.

In the pressure cooker add 200 ml of water, insert the steamer basket (choose a pot size suitable for your type of basket) and fill it with the cauliflower florets. Close the pressure cooker, check the valve.
Turn on the medium gas flame to high, when you hear the whistle or see the leverblock rise, it means the pot is pressurized. Lower the flame and cook for 4 minutes.
Once ready, drain them and let them cool for at least ten minutes.
Line the baking dish with parchment paper.
Drizzle with a bit of oil and distribute the boiled cauliflower florets without overlapping them too much, add the cherry tomatoes halved or quartered, depending on size, capers, olives, and a generous sprinkle of dried oregano, finally season with salt.
(Pit the olives, or inform your guests).
In a separate bowl, mix the parmesan with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle the ingredients in the baking dish with the mixture made, and add a drizzle of oil.
Preheat the static oven to 392°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, complete with the grill function at maximum power until golden brown, which should take about 5-7 minutes.
“Air fryer cooking: cook for about 10-15 minutes until you get an even browning.” If you are using an air fryer, you can use small baking trays.
Remove from the oven, let cool for a few moments and serve.
Enjoy your meal