Roasted Cauliflower With Pancetta, Olives and Crisp Parmesan

By Melissa Clark

Published Oct. 9, 2020

Roasted Cauliflower With Pancetta, Olives and Crisp Parmesan
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(5,421)
Comments
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Studded with salty olives, pancetta and Parmesan that gets golden and crisp at the edges, this is roasted cauliflower at its brightest and most full-flavored. You can serve the caramelized florets either as a vegetable-based main dish or a hearty side to roasted meats or fish, or big bowls of pasta. The recipe calls for using a package of finely diced pancetta that practically melts into the sauce. But if you prefer a chunkier texture, you can dice it yourself into ½-inch cubes, and add them with the cauliflower. Or, to make this vegetarian, just leave the pancetta out.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 main-dish servings or 4 side-dish servings
  • 1large head cauliflower (about 1¾ pounds), trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • ⅓cup olives, crushed, pitted and chopped
  • 1fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • ⅛teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
  • 4ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into ⅛-inch cubes
  • ¾teaspoon cumin or caraway seeds
  • ½cup shredded (not ground) Parmesan
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley or mint leaves and tender stems, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

991 calories; 88 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 53 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 1450 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with ¼ cup olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt until well coated. Roast for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, whisk together olives, garlic, lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt. Drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, whisking well.

  3. Step 3

    After the cauliflower has roasted for 15 minutes, add pancetta and cumin seeds to pan and gently mix to combine. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender, the pancetta rendered, and cheese is golden brown and crunchy.

  4. Step 4

    Spoon olive dressing all over roasted cauliflower while still hot and toss to combine. Taste, and add more salt, red-pepper flakes or lemon juice, if needed. Scatter parsley over the top before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
5,421 user ratings
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Comments

john c

What kind of olives should be used?

Marsha Halper

Has anyone tried substituting anchovies for pancetta or bacon? Or discovered a different, non-meat substitute?

Helene Russo

My husband can't eat spicy things like red pepper flakes. What type of seasoning can I substitute?

Anita Chan

I had a small cauliflower, so I added some chopped carrots. Cut the Olive oil substantially b/c I was using bacon rather than pancetta. I did not have cumin seeds, so I omitted. Used the lowly sliced black olives because that’s what I had on hand. The bacon crisped perfectly in the time it took to crisp the parmesan. It was different and delicious.

OceanGirl

I’ve made this many times and it never disappoints. But as others have noted, the olive oil is too much - even with a 2 pound cauliflower. I think you could easily cut about 1/3 of the oil - or more if your cauliflower is small. I also phased out the pancetta since I don’t really think it does much for the recipe. The suggestion though for a can of chick peas was appreciated. Good add. And the leftovers mixed with an egg in the morning for breakfast is a hit.

Richard

Olives, pancetta and Parmesan need no extra salt! Could do with less oil too.

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