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+ servings
A roasted cauliflower in a gray dutch oven with a blue and white dish towel.
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5 from 5 votes

How to Roast a Whole Head of Cauliflower

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic is easy to prepare and is so buttery and delicious. An oven-roasted cauliflower head can be the star of the show or a healthy side dish.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
Keyword: cauliflower, paleo, vegetables, whole30
Servings: 3
Calories: 224kcal
Author: Kari
Cost: $4

Equipment

  • Pie pan and aluminum foil or dutch oven
  • Pastry Brush

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon ghee You can also use butter.
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced Use 3 cloves if they are small, 2 if they are large.
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest This comes out to be about half of a lemon.
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt I made this with 1 tsp salt and it seemed too salty - adjust based on your preferences.
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Just a few shakes of red pepper flakes is perfect.

Instructions

  • Clean one head of cauliflower by removing the stem, leaves, and core and rinsing it off. Pat dry and place in a dutch oven.
    1 head cauliflower
  • Combine your ghee, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
    2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon ghee, 3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Microwave for 10 - 15 seconds to melt the ghee.
  • Slather this mixture all over your cauliflower using a silicone pastry brush or your fingers.
  • Bake at 400°F, covered with the lid of your dutch oven or with foil for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid/foil and bake at 425°F for an additional 15 minutes.
  • If your cauliflower is soft enough to pierce through with a knife, it is done. If you cannot pierce the cauliflower easily, cover and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes. Your cauliflower should be easy to pull apart.
  • Carefully remove from the pan and pull apart to eat/serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.3head of cauliflower | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg