This is the quintessential northern Italian type recipe that is simple, minimalist and will make you close your eyes at the first bite.This might be my most favorite oven roasted cauliflower recipe ever, and there’s a lot of them here at Spinach Tiger.

When I was tasting this dish, I thought of Marcella Hazan who wrote this legendary cookbook that stands worn-out in my kitchen. If you even dream of understanding authentic Italian cooking, this book is a must and get it in hardcover. You’ll have it for years.

She also writes a book called Ingredienti, Marcella’s Guide to the Market, that is simply charming and useful, as she believes ingredients almost outweigh a recipe, which should be non-complicated.

Buttery Oven Roasted Cauliflower Recipe Process

The cauliflower is sliced medium-thin, and fried in clarified butter, before roasting. You must clarify the butter, because you will be frying the cauliflower at medium high heat.

You can learn how to clarify butter here.

The cauliflower slices are then layered with salt, pepper, and authentic parmigiano-reggiano cheese and broiled for about five minutes.

The problem with cauliflower is that not all parts will slice the way you want them to. Some will crumble. That’s okay. Just put those to the side and fry those together. You can put them either in the center or middle of the layers. Put your best layers on top.

I call this cauliflower crack, as it’s buttery and gets flavor from parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Food should be made with the best ingredients you can find, and as few of them as it takes to create a culinary experience.

Take that in for a moment. Good food has finesse and draws you close to its source. When you taste this cauliflower, it should make you want to ask more about this dish, like what cheese is this, what butter did you use?

As simple this oven roasted cauliflower recipe is, it makes you want to know more about it.

I used unsalted Irish butter, because it’s amazing and makes grocery store butter taste like fake butter.

I used organic cauliflower, making sure to look for a head that had no black spots.

I used AUTHENTIC parmigiano-reggiano from Italy, not fake substitutes. You will pay more, but you will use less. Treat this king of cheese as it deserves.  It’s very subtle, yet has an umami flavor and it comes from the special cow’s milk produced by cows in a small protected area of Italy. Don’t buy pre-grated, as it begins to lose moisture immediately.   Don’t use pecorino in this recipe, as it will overpower the dish and be too salty.

I used or pink himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Use Cast Iron Pans to cook from Stove Top to Oven

Because I like to use high heats and place this under the broil, I used this size cast iron pan. If you have never cooked with cast iron, I urge you to invest in a few sizes. Not only are they affordable, they last through generations. I only purchased a few of my 14 cast iron pans, inheriting the rest. I use at least one of them  every single day.

Once the dish came out of the oven, I realized I topped it with some fresh basil, the only fresh I had. You can use fresh parsley or thyme, but I wouldn’t burden it with any stronger flavors, because the beauty of this dish is how nuanced it is.

If you like this, you’ll be inspired by this most popular cauliflower recipe, Cauliflower Hash, which is similar.

More Cauliflower Recipes

More Vegetable Dishes

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Buttery Oven Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Buttery Oven Roasted Cauliflower with layers of Parmigiano Reggino

Course Vegetable Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons clarified butter unsalted.
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat broiler or oven to 425 degrees
• Trim Cauliflower, Slice medium thin sliced thickness, about 1/4 inch, not shaved
• Use a small cast iron pan that will make three layers.
• Heat clarified butter in pan. To make clarified butter, heat in medium heat and skim off all foam. What is left is clarified butter.
• Add cauliflower one layer at a time, not to crowd pan. Fry until nearly golden brown or golden on edges. Remove to dish, as you cook each layer.
• Season each layer with salt and pepper. Make sure each layer has some of the melted butter.
• Layer each with a parmigiano reggiano cheese.
• Save the nicest cauliflower pieces for the top.
• Sprinkle top with cheese.
• Either roast at 425 for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden, or place under broiler for about five minutes. You may need to watch this closely to not burn it.
• When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle chopped parsley or basil.
• Serve immediately.

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Veal Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese and Fresh Mozzarella

While I was making these veal meatballs with ricotta cheese and gooey mozzarella, I was gearing up for the Academy Award’s Red Carpet, which I look more forward to than the awards themselves.

In all the years I’ve lived, I’ve watched things in the world get better, while other things get just plain stupid.

The Red Carpet Might Take Itself  Too Seriously

You can no longer ask women at the academy awards “who” they are wearing or “what” they are wearing, unless you get into some SERIOUS questions, because supposedly it insults women. I think it was Reese Witherspoon who started the campaign “ask me more.” This article lists many of the serious questions that the women want to be asked.

One actress wants to be asked ““What social cause are you most passionate about and why?”

Oh my goodness, while all of that is “nice” that is not what the red carpet is for. It’s not the Miss America contest, nor is it an Oprah interview. It’s the red carpet, the one time that glamour IS the reason people are tuning in. In this world of social media, the actresses have a million and one opportunities to champion their causes and become known.

Don’t tell me that women who fretted over make-up, botox injections, cheek implants, jewelry and well, not hair this year, but that’s another story, will feel badly if you talk to them about their appearance. They want to be on that best dressed list. It’s part of the fun, and we need fun.

. Movies are powerful, but their main draw is a place of escape and for sheer entertainment.

We need the red carpet and we care about those dresses!

Doesn’t this picture of the extremely talented Jennifer Lawrence just make you smile?

Next thing, someone will tell me is that I can’t eat veal, but even if they do, I’m not listening.

I’m swooning (mostly) at red carpet fashion and I’m eating veal.

Veal Meatballs Process

When I made these veal meatballs, I was spinning many plates, and made them in steps over two days. I mixed and baked the meatballs on Saturday, placed them in a dish of tomato puree overnight and then on Sunday added the cheese and baked. It almost felt like not cooking!

This is a meal to serve with crusty bread and a salad, when you are craving comfort food Italian style. This could even be a party dish, a heavy appetizer, or game day nosh. It’s man food with a woman’s touch, and a hearty family meal.

I did a little looking around the other day and discovered my most popular category is my Italian food category, which has over 120 Italian recipes. I’ve decided to dig a little deeper and make more Italian food here.

So tell me, do you want more Italian recipes, and what recipes are you most interested in?

Please connect with me on instagram, where I take you on a culinary journey of what we’re eating and drinking in Nashville, and all the things that get whipped up in Spinach Tiger’s kitchen. Just click on my IG feed below.

More Meatballs from Spinach Tiger

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Veal Meatballs, with Ricotta and Fresh Mozzarella

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground veal
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 large can tomato puree
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 8 mini fresh mozzarella balls or 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

• Pour milk over ground veal
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add egg, parsley, grated parmesan, bread crumbs and very loosely, gently mix together. You don't want the meat to be compacted, as that will make the meatballs tough.
• Form into small balls.
• Place foil or parchment paper on baking sheet.
• Bake meatballs for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
• From here, you can place in your own favorite tomato sauce or do the following method.
• Mix white wine with tomato puree. Put meatballs in sauce and refrigerate for several hours to overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scoop ricotta cheese into baking dish in various places.
• Do same with mozzarella.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 20 minutes.

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I have mood swings when it comes to herbs. If you noticed my summer fare, you saw a lot of basil, parsley and thyme. Thyme is my summer go to herb for just about everything that isn’t tomato based. But as soon as October arrives, I crave everything rosemary and sage, which is why I couldn’t wait to add Marcella’s Ebogoné to the Cooking Italy schedule.

Rosemary and sage amidst the beauty of the cranberry bean, also known as the borlotti bean, October bean or French horticultural bean, is the best way to usher in the coziest time of year.

It’s not unusual for me to pair beans with pasta.  And, I’ll do it again. But, it’s a bit unusual to puree the beans (or mash them), to make a “sauce.” Embognoné is a trademark dish of the Dalla Rosa family, who own a trattoria for four generations in San Georgio, north of Verona. This is a Marcella Hazan recipe giving tribute to this family that has served this dish for 4 generations.

It is THE bean that is most often used in Italy’s pasta e fagioli. But did you know that many of the Borlotti beans in Italy are cranberry beans imported from America? I took this picture in Rome at an open market.

Uncooked, they are the most beautiful bean in the world. Cooked, they lose that gorgeous pink color, but they gain all their flavor, similar to a chestnut.

I will probably never pass a barrel of fresh cranberry beans again without a purchase. It is one of my life pleasure’s to sit and shell my own beans and cozy up to a slower food style. Fresh beans do not need to be soaked, and will cook in under an hour and the taste is worth the joy of shelling.

This is a perfect “cook from scratch” sauce, with just enough of the right ingredients and fresh herbs. You might be tempted to add in more fresh herbs, but I believe the recipe balances out perfectly and I would wait until you have put everything together before changing the recipe.

You can choose to make a homemade pasta or use a factory made. Marcella has assured us that there is nothing wrong with good factory made pasta, and there are some pastas a home cook will never be able to duplicate as well. I purchased a pasta that was made with chick peas and had a high protein count, and it was quite good.

If you can’t find cranberry beans, the next best bean for this dish is the pinto, followed by the red kidney bean.

The good news is that beans are healthy and a great option for recession times, and with food like this, you will feel very rich.

Tell me, what are your favorite beans and how do you most like to eat them?

Recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan’sEssentials of Classical Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh cranberry beans, unshelled weight or
• 1 1/2 cups dried
• Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon for sauce, 2 tablespoons for tossing pasta
• 1/4 pound pancetta,chopped very fine to a pulp
• 1/3 cup onion chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon garlic chopped fine
• Chopped sage leaves, 1 teaspoon if fresh, 1/2 teaspoon if dry
• Chopped rosemary, teaspoon if fresh, 1/2 teaspoon if dry
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for the table

Instructions

Cooking Beans

1. If using fresh beans, put in pot with covering beans with 2” inches water.
2. Cover pot, turn on low, cook until tender, (check at 45 minutes). Do not salt until the beans are done.

Making Sauce

1. In separate pan, add pancetta to 1 T olive oil in medium high heat, until rendered.
2. Add onion until translucent. Add garlic, sage, rosemary. Cook for one minute.
3. Drain beans, reserve some liquid.
4. Mash 3/4 of beans, leaving some whole. Add salt and pepper.
5. Add in pancetta and herbs. Add in some of the reserved water to thin the sauce.
6. Add in cheese.
7. Toss with cooked pasta. Serve immediately.

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