Roasted Cauliflower With Pancetta, Olives and Crisp Parmesan

By Melissa Clark

Published October 8, 2020

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
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Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(5,504)
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

  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 1 ¾ pounds), trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

  • ⅓ cup olives, crushed, pitted and chopped

  • 1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced

  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

  • ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed

  • 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into ⅛-inch cubes

  • ¾ teaspoon cumin or caraway seeds

  • ½ cup shredded (not ground) Parmesan

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or mint leaves and tender stems, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

26 grams carbs; 63 milligrams cholesterol; 991 calories; 53 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 88 grams fat; 10 grams fiber; 1450 milligrams sodium; 30 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

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
5,504 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?

Chris

Made this and finished it with a few slices of raclette on top! Yummy!!

Paul Fulton

Just made this, but only had thinly sliced pancetta, to which I added proscuitto, so the texture was different from the recipe. I also used both green and black olives. This dish absoutely popped with flavor, a real surprise, and something I'll return to.

J.

Excellent. Did not have Pancetta but had dried sausage that I cut up small and used in the recipe. Used a little less oil too. Served over orzo.

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