Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Servings 4

Sweet cauliflower tossed in olive oil, garlic, thyme, and Parmesan cheese, then cooked until tender and golden. Roasted Cauliflower is a simple side dish with fantastic results and goes with just about everything!

Looking for more cauliflower recipes? Don’t miss our Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan, Mashed Cauliflower, and Cauliflower Curry Rice.

bowl full of golden roasted cauliflower florets

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.

Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Ah, roasted cauliflower. I’m in love with this stuff! It’s seriously like candy to me. Well, not quite. But close!

Sometimes I’ll throw this together and eat it for lunch – nothing else with it. Roasted (and grilled) vegetables are just the best.

This recipe for Roasted Cauliflower couldn’t be easier, too. You only need cauliflower, olive oil, garlic, thyme, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. You could also sprinkle additional seasonings on your cauliflower, but I just love it simple. Roasting vegetables brings out the absolute best flavor – they really don’t need anything else.

roasted cauliflower in serving bowl with purple napkin

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

  • Cauliflower: A whole head of fresh cauliflower, cut into small florets. If you’re in a crunch for time, some markets even sell it pre-cut.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil: This will give the dish some moisture and richness.
  • Garlic: Peeled and smashed, so buy it fresh.
  • Thyme: Fresh thyme sprigs are ideal. Skip the dried herbs for this recipe.
  • Seasoning: Simple salt and pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese off the block. Skip the pre-grated kind in the plastic tub.

How to Roast Cauliflower

Here are a few tips to ensure your cauliflower is roasted perfectly!
(Don’t miss the detailed printable recipe card below and the video.)

  • Cut the florets into medium-sized florets. Too small and they’ll burn.
  • Make sure the florets are uniform in size. Making sure they’ll all the same size, allows them to cook the same.
  • Place them onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Vegetables let off moisture as they cook and if they’re piled on top of one another they will steam and not roast.
  • Toss halfway through cooking. This allows the florets to roast evenly and brown on all sides.
  • What temperature to roast cauliflower? Roast at 425 degrees F. High heat is best!
  • How long to roast cauliflower? Roast until the cauliflower is tender and slightly crisp, about 25 minutes at 425. Don’t over-cook the florets or they’ll be mushy and fall apart. You want them to be al dente and nicely browned around the edges – the charred pieces are the most delish!
raw cauliflower florets in white bowl

What to Serve with Cauliflower

Our roasted cauliflower recipe is perfect any time of year. Serve it with one of the following for a complete meal:

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower – Video

More Roasted Vegetables:

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Roasted Cauliflower is a simple side with fantastic results! Sweet cauliflower tossed with seasonings and Parmesan, then roasted until tender and golden.

Ingredients 

  • 1 head cauliflower, , cut into florets about 1 1/2 inches each
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, , peeled and smashed
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Toss florets on a large rimmed baking sheet with the olive oil, garlic, and thyme until coated; season with salt and pepper.
  • Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once until almost tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and toss to combine; roast for an additional 10 minutes, tossing once more, until fork tender and golden.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 71.9mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
pin for roasted cauliflower recipe

Share this post

About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If you’re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

You May Also Like

Tried this recipe? Tell me how it turned out, or ask a question below!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Don't forget to click the ⭐ star rating below




31 Comments

  1. Renee Schouten says:

    Hi,
    I dont have fresh thyme. Can I use the store bought one? how much? Thanks, Renee

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      Absolutely. Fresh just means not dried…it doesn’t need to come from your own garden.

  2. Roger E. Huff says:

    Great recipe for those of us who look for low carb dishes.

  3. Stephanie says:

    Cauliflower… <3
    Cauliflower + Parmesan = <3 <3 <3

  4. foodwanderings says:

    Gosh I love cauliflower. I tried to comment on the ranch and dill recipe without much success, Amy. :( I am obsessed with both dill and cauliflower btw and even if I don’t have small kids at home I have the song from Frozen on rewind on the computer.

  5. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says:

    I’ve always liked cauliflower. I was surprised at your comment that its trending right now. I wasn’t aware of that. Well its time for the often forgotten cauliflower get his 15 minutes of fame!!!! Cauliflowers of the World—-it’s time to unite! Laughing here of course.

  6. Lauren says:

    LOVE roasted cauliflower!

  7. Kristen says:

    Oh I love roasted cauliflower – and this recipe looks so good! Thanks for sharing!

  8. Rebecca {foodie with family} says:

    This looks like the kind of side dish that I would end up eating so much of that I didn’t have room for the main dish. YUM!

  9. Heather @ French Press says:

    well, I still would prefer candy :) but this look pretty damn good!

  10. Joanne says:

    Cauli-trending sounds good to me! I mean, I was probably going to cook with it anyway and at least now that makes me cool!

  11. dina says:

    i’m all about roasting veggies these days. these look great!

  12. Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out says:

    I just roasted cauliflower tonight! So yummy. Wish I had thought to add some parm!

  13. Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says:

    My family loves veggie stir fries! We’d eat them for dinner all the time when I was in high school. Dad would pull out all of the random veggies in our fridge — a handful of carrots, a half-empty bag of broccoli florets, a stray potato — chop them up, and sauté them in a pan with lots of basil and garlic. And that was dinner! Your cauliflower brings back lots of fond memories. :)

  14. Jett Whitfield says:

    Yummy! I need to make this soon!

  15. Angie | Big Bear's Wife says:

    I absolutely love this! I could eat this all day!

  16. Meredith In Sock Monkey Slippers says:

    I’m a fool for roasted cauliflower!

  17. Susan says:

    I honestly don’t think I could get sick of cauliflower. I love to roast it up and adding some parmesan with it is a great idea!

  18. Melissa says:

    Trend away, cauliflower. ;) And I agree – sometimes I can eat just a big plate of roasted vegetables for a meal and be perfectly content.

    1. Amy @Very Culinary says:

      I know you even eat it raw… I made this 3x last week just for myself. Paul came into the kitchen and said, “Really? Again?” He’s not a fan. I shushed him ;-)

  19. Ray says:

    So simple! Next time I get cauliflower I will do this.

    I second Linda with romanesco. That would be good as well. I’m sure purple cauliflower or “broccoflower” would be just as good.

    1. Amy @Very Culinary says:

      Yes, this would work with any variety. I’ve also made broccoli with this method – converted my kids. #winning

  20. Lynda says:

    My husband brought home some Romanesco cauliflower. (We had to look it up-didn’t know what it was.) I roasted it pretty much the same way minus the Parmesan. It was awesome!

    1. Amy @Very Culinary says:

      My sister belongs to some CSA basket through work and last year she got a ton of Romanesco cauliflower. It was even sweeter than regular. Loved it!

  21. Sandi says:

    Lordy, this looks so good!!!!

  22. Gayle@PumpkinNSpice says:

    This cauliflower looks AMAZING! Now you’ve given me an excuse to try out this recipe!

  23. Jude says:

    YES, please. I’m seeing variations of cauliflower on so many menus lately. I will try this (easy!?) recipe at home. Thanks.

  24. dj says:

    Love this recipe, my husband will be home Friday from a long job in Virginia. And he has been talking about how he just love the roasted cauliflower I fixed. Going to try yours when he comes in, it sounds a lot better than mine. Thank you so much for sharing.

    1. Amy @Very Culinary says:

      My husband is the best eater, but sadly, not a fan of cauliflower. More for me! #brightside

  25. Dani H says:

    I love cauliflower, too, but I’ve never roasted it. I love it raw, steamed, even microwaved (especially with cheese!) This recipe sounds scrumptious, Amy! Definitely another one of your wonderful recipes to add to my list to try!

    Happy Spring!

    1. Amy @Very Culinary says:

      I love it all those ways, too…but roasted is the best!