Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

Savoury whole roasted cauliflower nestled on a bed of sweet and smokey romesco sauce is a great way to elevate this humble vegetable!

For another shockingly good cauliflower recipe, try Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites!

I would never have believed it when I was a kid, but I really do love eating vegetables. Not only do I feel good afterwards, but they come in such a huge range of taste and texture that I never get tired of a plate of veg.

But I get most excited when vegetables are roasted. Roasting enhances the flavour of vegetables, especially the sweetness, while adding a pleasant smokiness. So good!

For this recipe, I’ve made a savoury whole roasted cauliflower with the perfect blend of spices. And to really take it up a notch, it is paired with a sweet and rich romesco sauce!

Roasted cauliflower

Cauliflower can be cooked in numerous ways, including grilled, steamed or boiled, and can be turned into steaks or mash or left as bite-sized florets. But I think that roasting is the best option to get the most interesting flavour with the perfect texture.

One of the reasons I love cooking with cauliflower is how effective it is at holding other flavours. It’s a fairly blank slate, which is why it turns out so well when spice or sauce is added.

I chose to add garlic powder and smoked paprika along with olive oil to add a bit of punch to the vegetable. With the greens cut off and the bottom trimmed so the cauliflower stands upright, all I needed to do was add the spice mix evenly to the top.

Place the head into a dutch oven and into a preheated oven with the lid on for one hour. I then took the lid off and left it in the oven for another 20-25 minutes to get a slightly crispy top.

Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, and it’s ready to enjoy!

Romesco sauce

To me, romesco sauce is the Spanish response to Italian pesto. They don’t taste alike, but they are made in a similar fashion and are equally versatile and flavoursome. Both pest and romesco are simple, tasty sauces that can transform a simple dish into something special.

Romesco sauce was developed to serve with fish in the Tarragona region of Spain, where it was developed to serve with fish. But it has spread far and wide and there are now a myriad of versions, each bringing something.

Some are quite smooth and silky, but I like mine with a bit of texture. There is no hard and fast rule here, so do what works best for you!

While there are a million things you could put this sauce on, cauliflower with romesco is a match that is just meant to be. I served the cauliflower on a thick bed of the sauce, and couldn’t be happier with how it tasted!

Recipe tips and tricks

• For a more rustic look, some of the green leaves can be left on when cooking. Just make sure to fully expose the head of cauliflower.
• The spices for the cauliflower can be changed to fit your taste and mood. Any range of spices could be used, including Greek or Mexican spices, or it could be covered in pesto for an Italian twist. I love the spices used in this recipe but there is a lot of room to be creative!
• Pick a pot that is deep enough to fit the cauliflower and has a lid to cover when cooking. If you do not have a lid, aluminium foil will do the job.
• This cauliflower will also be amazing with tahini sauce, or served in tacos when cooked with Mexican flavours.
• The cauliflower looks stunning when cooked, so try serving it as the centrepiece on your dinner table.