Roasted Marry Me Cauliflower (With Creamy Tuscan Sauce)

Pan-seared cauliflower florets in a creamy sauce, garnished with basil and shredded cheese, with a wooden spoon in the pan.

Roasted Marry Me Cauliflower (With Creamy Tuscan Sauce)

My marry me cauliflower has char-edged roasted florets in a garlicky sun-dried tomato cream sauce with fresh basil. Smoky, rich, and ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Vegetarian

Keyword: cauliflower recipes, marry me cauliflower, vegetarian marry me recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Sarah Bond

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower cut into big chunks
2 Tbsp oil 30 mL
2 Tbsp unsalted butter 28 g
4 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp each salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped, 55g
1 cup heavy cream can sub half-and-half, 236 mL
½ cup grated parmesan 50 g
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Cut 1 large head cauliflower into large chunks (a little bigger than bite-sizes).
Toss them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp oil, and toss everything to coat. Bake for about 20 minutes. Flip all the pieces over, and then continue baking for another 5 minutes. They should be a bit charred and browned at the edges.
Flavor Base: Melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter in a large saute pan. Add 4 cloves garlic (minced), ½ tsp each salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Cook until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sauce: Add ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (roughly chopped) and 1 cup heavy cream. Gently simmer until hot, about 5 minutes.
Once hot, reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover, and keep it warm on the stove until cauliflower is finished.
Stir: Once cauliflower is finished cooking, stir in ½ cup grated parmesan, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, and cooked cauliflower.
Try not to overstir, which will cause the cauliflower florets to break.
Serve warm over pasta, quinoa, or by itself with crusty bread for dipping!

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The cauliflower softens as it sits and the sauce thickens, so reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of cream, milk, or water, folding carefully. The microwave works too: use 30-second bursts at medium power so the sauce doesn't split.

I don't recommend freezing. Cream sauces tend to turn grainy after thawing, and the cauliflower goes watery and limp.

To get ahead, roast the cauliflower up to a day early and refrigerate it. Rewarm it in a hot oven for a few minutes, then fold it into freshly made sauce.

Can I Make Marry Me Cauliflower Vegan? Yes. Swap the butter for vegan butter or olive oil, the heavy cream for full-fat canned coconut milk or cashew cream, and the parmesan for vegan parmesan or 2 to 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast. Coconut milk adds a faint sweetness that plays nicely with the sun-dried tomatoes, while cashew cream is the most neutral option.

Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower? You can, but fresh is the better choice here. Frozen florets release a lot of water, so they steam more than they char, and they're often cut small, which means more breakage. If you go frozen, roast straight from the freezer on a well-spaced pan and add 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges brown.

Why Did My Sauce Turn Grainy or Oily? Usually it's heat. Parmesan stirred into a bubbling sauce can seize into clumps, and cream that boils hard can separate. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, drop it to low before adding the cheese, and use freshly grated parmesan. If it does separate, whisk in a splash of warm cream off the heat to bring it back together.

Nutrition