simple pan-roasted cauliflower

cauliflower is an underrated vegetable. it is very forgiving and easy to cook and is a great source of vitamin c, folate and fiber. but that’s enough talk about nutrition. i wanna talk about salty, crunchy-coated cauliflower with melty, browned parmesan cheese and the clean, crisp hint of lemon zest. that’s all there is to this side dish, which also is quite delish tossed with a little pasta. the most time-consuming part of the recipe, to be honest, is cutting the cauliflower into tiny, uniform little trees so they cook evenly and are perfectly bite-size. the rest comes together really quickly. i took inspiration from a similar dish on heidi swanson’s 100 cookbooks blog.

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 head cauliflower, washed, trimmed of leaves and cut into tiny (and i mean tiny) uniform little trees
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced finely
zest of one lemon
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. fresh parsley, rough chopped

heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. toss in all the cauliflower, making sure each tiny tree has some direct contact with the pan. brown the cauliflower for 3 or 4 minutes, toss and repeat to form a nice brown crust on each side. after about 10 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the garlic and lemon zest over the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. all told, you’ll probably cook the cauliflower about 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

once the cauliflower is dotted with brown and slightly crusty bits on all sides, toss in the cheese, allowing it to bubble and brown slightly in the pan before blending it with the cauliflower. you will enjoy a little bit of brown, bubbly cheese–believe me.

shower the cauliflower with fresh parsley, and serve hot. serves 2 to 3