The cauliflower gratin without béchamel is a tasty vegan/vegetarian side dish without cheeses, featuring plenty of herb-seasoned breadcrumbs to add flavor and a perfect crust to a vegetable many people love (and many others don’t).
I love cauliflower in many ways, but the cauliflower gratin without béchamel is my favorite for convenience and speed; it takes very little time and gives you a side dish you can prepare in advance.
If you like cauliflower, below I leave other quick and tasty ideas for preparing it, and as always after the photo we’ll see how to make the baked cauliflower gratin!!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for the cauliflower gratin without béchamel
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 1/2 cups bread (stale)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 fresh chili pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/3 cup Grana Padano, grated
Tools
- 1 Immersion blender
Preparation of the cauliflower gratin without béchamel
To prepare the cauliflower gratin without béchamel, first clean the cauliflower by removing the leaves and the stem (don’t throw them away; you can make cauliflower cream with the leaves and stem).
Divide the cauliflower into florets and steam them for 8 minutes; they should still be slightly crisp.
Meanwhile, place the stale bread torn into pieces in the cup of an immersion blender and roughly chop it; you should obtain coarse crumbs, not fine breadcrumbs.
Also add the garlic clove sliced into the blender cup together with the herbs and pulse again.
Once the cauliflower is ready, put it in a bowl, salt and dress with extra virgin olive oil, then fold in the herb-seasoned breadcrumbs and mix well.
For the vegetarian version, mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs before combining with the cauliflower.
Preheat the oven to 392°F in conventional mode or 356°F in fan-assisted mode and transfer the cauliflower gratin without béchamel into a baking dish, spreading the remaining seasoned breadcrumbs on top.
Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes, then turn on the broiler for another 5 minutes.
The baked cauliflower gratin is ready; finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil and some chopped fresh herbs on top and serve warm or at room temperature.
Practical tips and mistakes to avoid
Do not overcook the florets: they should keep some structure so they don’t fall apart in the oven.
Oil on the surface: helps even browning and gratination.
Moisture barrier: for tartlets or fragile bases, first spread a thin layer of breadcrumbs or melted cheese to prevent sogginess.
Make ahead: you can prepare the seasoning and the florets the day before; assemble and bake at serving time.
How to store the baked cauliflower gratin
Storage and reheating
Refrigerator: store in an airtight container at 39 °F for 2–3 days; consume within this period.
Freezing: possible if prepared without soft fresh cheeses; freeze in portions and reheat from frozen in the oven at 356 °F until golden (allow more time).
Reheating: oven at 320–356 °F for 10–15 minutes to preserve crispness; microwave only for single portions and if crispness is not desired.
Other recipes
If you want to see other recipes you can return to HOME.
