The baked cauliflower with cheese and olives is a rich, particularly flavorful side dish, a recipe I saw from the talented Laura of “Laura food and music“. Cauliflower is often snubbed, but when paired with the right flavors, it can lead to extraordinary dishes: here we have olives, spicy provolone (which I love, by the way), sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and a rocket sauce to complete everything. And so, in no time, this vegetable side dish deserves a place of honor even on the most important table. Try this baked cauliflower with cheese and olives and you will love it!
Not to be missed
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower (about 2.2 lbs)
- 1 lemon (grated zest)
- 7 oz spicy provolone
- 3.5 oz breadcrumbs
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 black olives (I use Taggiasca)
- 4 sun-dried cherry tomatoes in oil
- to taste capers
- 2.8 oz tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons water
- 0.7 oz arugula
Tools
- 1 Microwave Steamer
- 1 Oven Dish
- 1 Coarse Grater
- 1 Grater
- 1 Hand Blender
Steps
Clean the cauliflower: remove the outer leaves, detach the florets from the stem, wash them, and place them in the microwave steamer. Cook at 900 w for 12 minutes. Arrange it in an oven dish and season with the oil, salt, and pepper. In a bowl, grate the spicy provolone with a coarse grater and mix it with the breadcrumbs. Also, add the grated lemon zest and mix. Use the mixture obtained to cover the cauliflower. Finish with the olives, sun-dried tomatoes cut into strips, and capers (if you have some, you can also add a few basil leaves). Drizzle with a little more oil and bake at 392 °F in a fan-assisted oven with grill until a nice golden crust forms.
Meanwhile, prepare the accompanying sauce: transfer all the ingredients to the blender and blend until a nice smooth cream is obtained. If the sauce turns out too thick, you can add a little more water.
Serve the cauliflower warm with the arugula sauce.
Notes
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