Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

We have a monster storm headed our way here in New England. We might get up to 30 inches of snow, so I figured I'd better get this post out in case we lose power. I've got lots of comfort foods planned for this weekend. I hope I get to make them!

For some people mac & cheese may be your ultimate comfort food, or maybe it's your Mom's meatloaf. Growing up with a Mom, Grandma and Sicilian Nonna who were all great cooks that had comfort food looking a little different to me.

I can honestly say my Nonna never made mac & cheese in her lifetime, my mom either. It just wasn't food that my Dad or Nonno would have eaten. Comfort food looked just a little different in my family:

• Artichoke omelets
• Figs cookies
• Crusty Sicilian bread
• Baccala (dried fish)
• Nonna's homemade ravioli
• Home made cannoli
• Easter bread (with sprinkles and eggs baked into the top)
• My Aunt Paula's Struffoli (little balls of dough and honey)
• Nonna's Sfingi (a sugared puff pastry)
• Nonna's sauce (which my cousin reminded me she always put a pinch of sugar in to cut the acidity)
• Crispy chicken cutlets
• Breaded fried cauliflower

Fried cauliflower! Since I've been a little girl I've eaten it and loved it.

My Nonna made it and now my Mom makes it and now make it now (you can see my recipe here.) It's always been comfort food to me.

I'll admit it. I'm a cauliflower lover but I don't care for raw cauliflower. Fried I'm obviously ok with and now roasting it is a favorite too. Once you roast it and bring out that nutty goodness you'll never look at cauliflower the same way again.

This is a super easy recipe. Grab a head of cauliflower, break it into florets, add in some onions, garlic and thyme, top it off with some olive oil and then some cheese. It's like candy to me. Right up there with my obsession with caramelized onions.

I could have eaten that whole pan full. I kid you not.





Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
slightly adapted from a recipe at Bon Apetit, February 2013

Preheat oven to 425°.

Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets; toss on a large rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment. Add 1 large onion sliced, 4 thyme sprigs, 1 head of unpeeled garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons olive oil (or enough it coat it); season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast until cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes longer.