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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Ingredient & Substitutions
- How To Roast A Whole Cauliflower Head
- How To Serve Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Storage Instructions
- Pairings For Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- More Whole Cauliflower Recipes
- Tools For This Recipe
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Ready to learn how to roast a whole cauliflower head?! I love roasted cauliflower florets, but this whole roasted cauliflower recipe is a show-stopper, whether you’re a meat eater and having it as a side dish, or it’s the main course of a vegetarian meal. While it makes a stunning addition to a Christmas or Thanksgiving menu, whole cauliflower recipes are also easy enough to enjoy any night of the week.
This one is drizzled with a garlic parmesan sauce, perfectly cooked, and sliced into circles or wedges for serving. If you want florets instead of roasting a cauliflower head whole, try my roasted cauliflower recipe instead, or broccoli and cauliflower florets together.
Why You’ll Love This Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Rich garlic parmesan flavor
- Tender inside, golden outside
- Just 10 minutes of active prep time, and the rest is hands-off
- Looks and sounds fancy, but super easy to make – it’s the best roasted cauliflower head!
- Healthy, plus naturally low carb and gluten-free
- Perfect as a side dish or as the main course of a vegetarian meal
Ingredient & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a whole roasted cauliflower head, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower – I used a medium whole cauliflower head, so if yours is large, you may need to increase the amounts of the oil and seasonings. After you wash the cauliflower, be sure to dry very well — this roasts the exterior instead of steaming it in the oven and infuses the seasonings and cheese.
- Olive Oil – Helps the seasonings stick and adds flavor. Ghee would also work well and add a buttery taste. I don’t recommend using butter, which tends to burn too easily.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic, since it will get crushed and blended into the sauce. Minced garlic is more likely to burn. If you don’t have any fresh garlic, you can substitute about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, but fresh tastes best.
- Seasonings – Including dried basil, parsley, and thyme. You can use an equivalent amount of homemade Italian seasoning instead to save time. Smoked paprika also makes a nice addition if you like.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan is tangy and crisps up well on roasted whole cauliflower, almost like bread crumbs. If you don’t have parmesan, a variety of hard or soft cheeses will work, such as feta, blue cheese crumbles, or shredded cheddar, but the texture of the topping will be different. If your lifestyle allows or if you want a vegan option, swap the cheese for bread crumbs instead.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Roast A Whole Cauliflower Head
This section shows how to make whole roasted cauliflower, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep the cauliflower. Roasting a head of cauliflower whole requires removing the core while leaving the head intact. Use a paring knife to remove the outer leaves and cut off the bottom, so it’s flat. (See the video on the recipe card below to see how I do this!)
TIP: Be careful not to cut off too much.
Cut off the woody center of the bottom stalk, but be careful to avoid removing too much, as cooking whole cauliflower requires the head to stay intact. See the picture below for how it should look.
- Make the sauce. Stir together the olive oil, garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Season. Place the cauliflower head upside down (core side up) in a Dutch oven (this one is the perfect size for whole roasted cauliflower!). Drizzle 1/2 the sauce over the top of it and let it drip down the core. Turn cauliflower over and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Use a basting brush to spread it all over. Make sure that the entire head of cauliflower is covered in sauce.
- Roast. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and roast the head of cauliflower until tender. It should pierce easily with a knife or fork.
- Broil. Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top and broil until the cheese is browned. If you like, sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish, and/or even additional parmesan.
How To Serve Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Carefully lift the full roasted cauliflower out of the Dutch oven and onto a cutting board. I usually use two large forks and lift from underneath.
- Slice into steaks or wedges. You can slice the cauliflower into “steaks” (large circles — see a visual in my cauliflower steak post) or cut it into thin wedges, kind of like a pie.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Meal prep: Mix the garlic parmesan sauce in advance, then use when ready. Alternatively, you can also bake the whole roasted cauliflower with parmesan and reheat when you’re ready to eat it.
- Reheat: Covering in foil and bake at 350 degrees F. (You might want to add fresh parmesan on top before reheating.) The microwave works in a pinch, but the texture is best with the oven method.
- Freeze: Cut into slices or pieces, cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pairings For Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole roasted cauliflower can be the star or main entree of a vegetarian meal (plain or with a drizzle of tahini sauce!), but cooking whole cauliflower also makes the perfect side dish to your favorite protein. Try out one of these main entrees:
- Steak – For a fancier meal, you can’t go wrong with filet mignon, sirloin steak, or even New York strip.
- Chicken – Try chicken cacciatore or baked chicken legs for a simple, flavorful dinner. For a richer main dish, I love creamy Crock Pot chicken or creamy mushroom chicken.
- Pork – Pair whole roasted cauliflower with golden pan seared pork chops, cheesy stuffed pork chops, or a tender pork tenderloin recipe.
- Seafood – Make baked cod or baked salmon for quick weeknight options, or sea bass, lobster tails, or halibut recipes for special meals.
More Whole Cauliflower Recipes
There are so many ways to turn whole cauliflower into a mouthwatering side dish! While this is my only recipe for roasting cauliflower whole, these easy cauliflower recipes use an entire head as well:
Tools For This Recipe
- Enameled Dutch Oven – Creates the ultimate crisp-tender texture. This one is the perfect size to hold a head of cauliflower, and is easier to maintain than regular cast iron.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
With herby garlic parmesan topping, this whole roasted cauliflower recipe is a showstopper — but so easy to make with simple ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Rinse the cauliflower head and pat dry. Remove the outer leaves. Carefully cut off the bottom so that it's flat and most of the woody stem is removed, being careful not to cut off so much that it falls apart. Be sure the head stays intact.
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In a small bowl, make the garlic Parmesan sauce. Stir together the olive oil, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons (28.3 grams) grated Parmesan (half of the total amount), basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Place the trimmed cauliflower head upside down (core side up) onto a 6-quart (5.6 liters) dutch oven. Drizzle 1/2 of the sauce over the cauliflower, tilting it to let it drip down the core and all around. Flip over and drizzle the remaining sauce over the top. Use a pastry brush to brush on any that had dripped down to the pan or didn't spread well.
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Cover the dutch oven with a lid and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and pierces easily with a skewer, knife or fork.
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Remove the lid. Sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with the remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Place the cauliflower under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 head of cauliflower
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
108 Comments
Deena
0Instead of parmesan cheese could I use Nutritional Yeast instead? It looks so delicious and would like to give it a try.
ECS
0This was a delicious recipe. I had a very large cauliflower and needed to add more oil to coat properly but not a problem. I cooked for 35 minutes but I will cut that down to 30 minutes next time, because it was falling apart. Still tasted great!
Donna
0I made this for my son and his family. We all loved it. It is delicious, easy to make and keto. Perfect!
Melanie
0I like it, the sauce is very flavorful. I used fresh herbs vs dried, and I liked the way it tasted. If I make it again, I think I’ll make more sauce. The sauce doesn’t get into the cauliflower very well, and I did a much better job cutting the core out, circling the knife down in there. Definitely More sauce to hit all the parts
Amy
0This is my go-to recipe every time; it’s always a hit. Thank you!
Mary
0Hi ! Looks delicious. I don’t have a dutch oven – is there something else I could use instead?
Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, You won’t get the same texture, but you can use a large pot.
Melanie
0I used an enamel roasting pan with lid. Worked fine, the texture was perfect
Elam Menta
0Double the cooking time, perhaps triple it. Wasn’t remarkable really. Cutting the cauliflower up yields better spice coverage and let’s the natural sugars caramelize and will cook in about 45 minutes.
Donna
0Best cauliflower receipe I have ever tasted.
Allison Felton
0I loved this recipe made by my kind neighbor, Nancy.
Debra Walter
0I loved this recipe. I followed just as you said and it was tender and delicious. Thank you.
Carrie
0Hi, Tried your recipe tonight as I daily cook for my 86 year old Mom, and at times, My daughter. We all really loved this. Even Mom who doesn’t care for cauliflower commented on how good it was! Daughter said it had a Greek Flair. I followed the recipe , but as I like to do early prep,I put the mixture in the fridge, until ready to use…..which made it thick. Added a splash more olive oil and was perfect and did not drip. I used a foil lined small pan and covered it with foil. Was perfect at 35 min.then broiled with extra Parm. Thank you for an easy, great tasting recipe for Cauliflower!
Tamara Griffin
0I make this recipe regularly!! It is delicious as a side or a main dish!
Elaine
0Absolutely delicious! We will be making this frequently. Thank you.
Nicole
0I did an oopsie and added all the parmesan so I didn’t broil at the end but the flavor is fantastic!! I’ll be making this a lot.
Robin
0We enjoyed this recipe. I remember the first I made it I thought my husband would not enjoy. Surprise surprise he did enjoy more than anyone. He would ask for me to make it. So today I am making it as part of dinner. It is so delicious. Thank you Maya for the delicious recipes and ideas for dinner. God bless you.
Louise O'Sullivan
0I have never roasted a whole cauliflower before. It was a great success. Will try this again maybe for when company is coming!
Brianna S
0I’m obsessed with this recipe!
Pauline Ungless
0I’ve tried roasting a whole cauliflower before and it was very bland and way overcooked, I followed the recipe to the letter. This one looks so good I’m going to try it tonight, I’ve only got a small head so I’ll really keep an eye on how fast it cooks. I really like the way the seasoning is put on the underside of the cauliflower and on top so the flavour will go right through. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Cherie Board
0I have made this many times! Even my 8 year old grandchild likes it! Very east and very good!
Leslie
0So tasty! I am a cheese lover so I added more parmesan after I sliced and plated.
R
0I made it for supper this evening, it was good! We found it a little bland, but still tasty and no complaints, I would make it again, first I will try it again with less Olive oil in the coating sauce. By the middle of cooking, most of the sauce was in the bottom of the pot, taking the flavour with it. I’m thinking I may keep the spice as is, I’m thinking the olive oil with the moisture from the cauliflower in a closed pot, created a “slide” for the spices to slide off. I will try “basting” first and if all else fails, I might add a little more savory flavour! I would also like to try or a bit of mild hot spice, I’m thinking “smoked paprika” or “cajun spices”. Additionally, I took the lid off about 15 minutes before the time was up, to lightly “brown” the top a bit, I should have tried basting at that point. Right now, I’m looking towards 4 more tries, with possible slight variations.
karyn
0Absolutely love this! Picky non-keto hubby ate it and said we should make it again. Thank you for another great recipe.
Shawna
0Do you know if I can cover it with foil only?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Shawna, I have never tried that method.
Gwen
0I took a chance buying cauliflower, a vegetable my family isn’t used to having. I followed your recipe and it came out great! I cut it in slices (which I’ve never seen done before). There were no leftovers and my family said they loved it.
Denise ward Lee
0If I could give more than 5 stars, I would as this recipe is absolutely delicious, this is going to be done on a regular basis as it’s very impressive.
Bryan
0As I was reading the recipe it occurred to me that a possible improvement would be to halve the cauliflower veggie baking and bake it with the cut sides down. That would give you a bit of seasoning and browning on what would otherwise be the unseasoned inside of the head. I haven’t tried it yet but am planning to later today.
Coleen
0We made this as a Thanksgiving side dish. It was DELICIOUS!
Marlene
0I’m trying this for the first time tonight. I’ve roasted a whole cauliflower before, but boiled it in chicken broth and then baked it covered in melted butter, a little of the chicken broth, and thyme. I found out this past week that my triglycerides are high, so when I found this recipe instead of the one I’d been using, I thought I’d try it. It sounds healthier. I loved the other recipe, but this one is easier without boiling first, so it is easier, dirties fewer dishes, and is still very good. Only 2 of us in the house eat it, but I’ve eaten half of it and told my daughter-in-law that if she wants to finish off the last quarter, then I don’t have to make room in the fridge for it. LOL. She liked it, also.
Kim
0I don’t have a Dutch oven. Anything else I can do?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kim, You won’t get the same texture, but you can use a large pot.
Journa
0Never thought I can successfully roast a whole cauliflower! It turned out to be so good a crowd-favorite! I’ll surely make this again, thanks Maya for this amazing recipe!
Stef
0I made this fabulous recipe for a dinner party and it was a hit all around! Thank you!
Glenda
0This was delicious! I had never roasted an entire head of cauliflower before and now I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Thanks for sharing!
MaryAlice Dunn
0Excellent recipe! Easy to follow directions. The Roasted Cauliflower head was so tender and very tasty. I will make this often.
R Ellison
0Oven TEMPERATURE????
Very important. I checked several times …did NOT see it
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0The temperature is on the recipe card, right above where you left this comment. It’s 400 degrees F.
Angela
0Amazing! I changed up the spice profile to cayenne and smoked paprika. It was phenomenal, this will be my go to from now on.
Deborah Love-Hawke
0This is the best whole cauliflower recipe we’ve found. Agree with other reviewers that you need to make more sauce, but overall delicious. After a recent heart event, we are trying more veg meals for the whole family. This one’s a keeper!
Cherie
0I have made this many times! It’s our go to for cauliflower! It’s easy and SO tasty! I have leftovers, and it’s easy to reheat!
Maryanne V.
0This was delicious. Followed the recipe except I added an extra tablespoon of parmesan by accident. Thank you for a great recipe I’ll be making weekly.
Christine
0I can’t believe I got this recipe right the first time! Just love it. Cauliflower had perfect texture and the parmesan was extra nice.. I did reduce the amount of herbs to about one tablespoon. I added extra 1/4 cup olive oil. I cooked it 5 minutes longer— a high altitude–and broiled it for 3 minutes instead of 5.. Really nice presentation.