Pesto Roasted Cauliflower
Wow, it was a fast moving February, which I'm pretty sure is going to turn into a fast moving March! Kyle and I accomplished a trip to Houston and a trip to Mexico City, Birthday celebrations for him, engagement celebrations for friends, a new Bible Study, lots of work travel for Kyle and tons of work checklists and Board meetings for me. Wowzers. And in one short week we are taking off to Israel! Detailed meal planning has been at an all-time low and needless to say, my quick and simple favorites have really come to the rescue lately!
One fairly new quick and simple side that I want to share with you today, and that I have been making on the regular lately, is my Pesto Roasted Cauliflower. If you have noticed in my posts, I have been making a lot of roasted cauliflower this year AND using lots of pesto (it is such a SIMPLE way to add a LOT of flavor!). After basically making these two components a weekly constant, Kyle and I then went to grab a quick bite at Celebration and one of their vegetables of the day was a pesto roasted cauliflower. Hello!?!?! Why had I not thought of that?!
So, the next week pesto roasted cauliflower was absolutely on the menu. I love this dish because it carries so much flavor on its own that you don't need to worry about having super flavor-packed fancy items to go with it. I love this as a side to beef or pork tenderloin, chicken or salmon, or added into a bowl for lunch. You could even chop it up finely and add to scrambled eggs in the morning. Such a good prepped veggie to have around for the week.
So, here you go - my recipe for Pesto Roasted Cauliflower...
Happy Fueling!
Taylor
PESTO ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
INGREDIENTS
1 small to medium head of cauliflower, chopped and rinsed (about 4 to 5 cups raw)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon + 1 - 2 teaspoons jarred pesto
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, drizzle cauliflower with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat.
Spread the cauliflower out evenly over the baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for about 20 minutes (see my first picture in this post for a visual).
After 20 minutes, remove cauliflower from the oven, scoop the cauliflower into that same mixing bowl, add the pesto, and mix with a rubber spatula to coat the cauliflower evenly with pesto.
Scoop the cauliflower back onto the baking sheet, place back in the oven and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender and some of the smallest pieces are getting crispy.
Remove baking sheet with cauliflower from the oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately or allow to cool completely and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for meals later in the week!
NUTRITION NOTES
Cauliflower provides a lot of VITAMIN C and FIBER
Vitamin C... helps strengthen the immune system and prevent infections
Fiber... great for a healthy digestive system, helps fill you up, can help lower cholesterol