If you are looking for a recipe that combines the healthy features of cauliflower with the inviting taste of tomatoes and melted mozzarella, cauliflower pizzaiola is the perfect answer. Baked in slices until crispy and then sprinkled with tomato and melted mozzarella, cauliflower pizzaiola is a rich dish, which you can enjoy as a different vegetarian main course.
Unlike many recipes that require pre-boiling the cauliflower, in this case it is sliced thickly and placed on a baking sheet. This cooking method gives the dish a crispy exterior and a soft interior while preserving more of the nutritional characteristics and flavor of the cauliflower compared to boiling.
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quick pizzaiola cauliflower recipe, tasty oven-baked sliced cauliflower without boiling, the chicco di mais

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 4 people
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter

382.26 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 382.26 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 25.09 (g) of which sugars 4.31 (g)
Proteins 17.73 (g)
Fat 26.34 (g) of which saturated 9.32 (g)of which unsaturated 4.19 (g)
Fibers 7.11 (g)
Sodium 432.77 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 217 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 for Cauliflower Pizzaiola

1 cauliflower (about 2.2 lbs)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove onion
3 cups tomato sauce
7 oz mozzarella
1 pinch salt
to taste pepper
1 pinch oregano

Tools

1 Cutting board
1 Knife
1 Baking tray large
Parchment paper
1 Pan
1 Spoon

How to Prepare Baked Cauliflower Pizzaiola

To prepare cauliflower pizzaiola, start by washing the cauliflower thoroughly. Cut it into slices about 1/2 inch thick (1), then remove the leaves and the tough bottom part of the stalk.
Line a sufficiently large baking tray with parchment paper to accommodate all the cauliflower slices without overlapping them. Grease the paper with a drizzle of oil (2).
Place the cauliflower slices side by side, without overlapping, and season them with a good pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, and a drizzle of oil (3).
Moisten the bottom of the tray with about 1/4 cup of water, just to aid the cooking of the cauliflower (4). Bake the cauliflower slices in the preheated oven at 356°F (convection) for 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce: in a non-stick pan, pour 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add a large clove of onion in big pieces (5). Let it sauté lightly, then add the tomato sauce (6).
Salt, season with a pinch of oregano, and cover with a lid. Cook the tomato sauce for 15-20 minutes over a low flame, stirring it occasionally. At the end of cooking, turn off the heat and remove the onion (7).
Cut the mozzarella into cubes (8). When the cauliflower is golden and crispy, take it out of the oven (9).
Dress it with some tomato sauce (10) and finish with the mozzarella cubes (11). Put the cauliflower pizzaiola back in the oven for a few minutes, just until the mozzarella melts (12).
Serve the cauliflower pizzaiola immediately, if you wish garnished with a little more oregano, as an appetizer or a vegetarian main dish.