This Cauliflower Parmesan recipe is a regular favorite with my family and I'm so excited to share it with you! Thick cauliflower steaks are brushed in an herby marinade, topped with fresh tomatoes and two types of cheese, and baked in the oven until golden, bubbly and fork-tender. And since I don't use breadcrumbs in this recipe, it's naturally gluten-free too! I love this classic chicken with vegan parmesan and it's a great way to incorporate more veggies into your meals!
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Generally, I stay away from any “food” with ingredients I can't pronounce, so human-made meat options are usually not on my grocery list. Cauliflower is great because it's a great alternative to animal products without all the mystery ingredients and chemicals. It also has a texture that can withstand high heat and many forms of cooking – fried, boiled, steamed, raw, marinated, pickled or roasted (like I do in this simple Cauliflower Parmesan recipe!).
What is Cauliflower Parmesan?
Cauliflower Parmesan is my go-to vegetarian Chicken Parmesan. Instead of using breaded and fried chicken as a base, I slice a head of cauliflower into thick steaks and top it with tomato, mozzarella and provolone cheese. It's then baked in the oven instead of fried, making it a healthier (and easier!) alternative to the traditional dish. But don't let the lack of meat fool you. Cauliflower is a good option that will fill you up And Satisfied I promise!
Here's what you'll need to make this Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan recipe:
- Cauliflower: Choose large heads of cauliflower without brown spots or discoloration. Ideally, it should be large enough to cut into four 1-1.5 inch slices. Don't worry if some of the flowers fall off when you cut them; You can assemble them alongside the cauliflower steaks and cover them with cheese to hold them in place!
- Tomatoes: My recipe differs from many other cauliflower parmesan recipes because I use diced tomatoes, not marinara sauce. They provide extra moisture and flavor but are also functional options. The slices stop the cheese from melting through the gaps between the cauliflower florets, placing them on top of the cauliflower instead of on the baking sheet.
- Mozzarella Cheese and Provolone Cheese: These add a delicious smoothness to the dish and help hold everything together.
- Olive Oil: I mix this with seasonings to create an herby, garlicky marinade for cauliflower.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper add a lot of flavor to cauliflower. If you want, you can also add red pepper flakes for a little heat.
If you cut your cauliflower steaks about 1 inch-1.5 inches thick, they will cook perfectly. One of my biggest pet peeves is overcooking vegetables until they're mushy, but if you want your cauliflower extra soft, you can pre-bake it with an oil mixture for 15 minutes before moving on to the tomato cheese layering step. That's up to you!
giving instructions
I always serve my cauliflower parmesan steak with noodles and Homemade marina sauce. This is such an easy, budget-friendly and delicious veggie-packed meal! Add a piece of Garlic bread Or focacciaAnd you have a restaurant-worthy dinner at home. But this dish will also be delicious with my creamy Tuscan orzo (Or any pasta dish, for that matter!) or a caprese salad.
How to store
I prefer to serve this recipe with cauliflower parmesan fresh, but leftovers would be delicious added to a salad the next day! You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, if desired, place in oven at 350°F until heated through. Cover the cheeses with foil if they start to brown too much! Remember that cauliflower and tomatoes will soften more after storage and reheating.
Cauliflower Parmesan Recipe
This Cauliflower Parmesan recipe uses fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and provolone to create a flavorful main dish that's not just for vegetarians!
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- 3 tbsp olive oil ($0.57)
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend ($0.52)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- 1 big Head florets, cut into 4 thick slices (vertically). ($2.86)
- 2 Cut tomatoes,* ($1.54)
- 1 Cup Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided into ¼ cup portions ($1.12)
- 8 slice Provolone cheese ($1.44)
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning blend, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Keep aside.
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Cut the head of cauliflower into 4 thick “steaks” from the top of the head to the bottom of the stem. Your steaks without real stems will probably break, but that's okay! They can be grouped together and the following steps will help to group them together.
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Brush all sides of the cauliflower steaks with 2 tablespoons of the herb oil mixture. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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On top of each cauliflower steak, add 2-3 tomato slices. This is an important step, as the tomatoes add great flavor and moisture, and the cheese keeps the cauliflower from melting, seeping through, and cooking on the baking sheet.
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Sprinkle 4 servings of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the tomato slices.
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Then, top each cauliflower steak with 2 slices of provolone cheese on each side.
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Bake the cauliflower in the oven for 40 minutes or until fork tender.**
Let's see how Calculate the cost of the recipe here.
** I prefer my cauliflower to have a little bite (all vegetables, actually.) This recipe will produce a cooked cauliflower that still requires a fork and knife to enjoy – it won't be mushy! If you find that your cheese is browning too much for your personal liking, you can lightly coat the cauliflower steaks with a sheet of tinfoil with cooking spray to keep them from browning more than you like. Personally, I like to brown some on top! Some people boil their cauliflower parm for the last 3 minutes to get the desired color.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 21gFat: 28gSodium: 1100mgFiber: 6g
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How to make Cauliflower Parmesan – step by step photos
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 3 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Keep aside.
Cut 1 large head of cauliflower into 4 thick “steaks” from the top of the head to the bottom of the stem. Your steaks without real stems will probably break, but that's okay! They can be grouped together and the following steps will help to group them together.
Brush all sides of the cauliflower steaks with 2 tablespoons of the herb oil mixture. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
On top of each flower steak, add 2-3 tomato slices (cut 2 tomatoes). This is an important step, as the tomatoes add great flavor and moisture and will prevent the cheese from melting from the cauliflower, seeping through the holes and cooking on the baking sheet.
On top of the tomato slices, sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese evenly in 4 servings.
Then, top each portion with 2 slices of provolone cheese per cauliflower steak (you'll need 8 provolone slices total).
Bake the cauliflower in the oven for 40 minutes or until fork tender.**
