Roasted Cauliflower with Mint and Olive Sauce

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Inspired by the simple yet big-flavored ingredients of Sicily, we wanted a roasted cauliflower dish with a bright and zesty sauce that bolstered the roasty notes of the cauliflower. To ensure that the cauliflower had plenty of browning on the bottom, we simply tossed the pieces in olive oil, spread them evenly on a baking sheet (with as many pieces cut side down as possible), and roasted them on the lowest rack of a 475-degree oven. When roasted this way, the cauliflower turned dark brown, caramelized, and nutty, with a tender, creamy center. For the sauce, we combined fresh mint and parsley with Castelvetrano olives, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice in a food processor before tossing in pine nuts for a quick blitz.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon table salt, divided
• ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
• ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

KEY EQUIPMENT

• Liquid Measuring Cups
• The Best Kitchen Shears

Before You Begin

Kitchen shears make easy work of cutting the cauliflower florets away from the core, but you can use a paring knife if you prefer. We like Castelvetrano olives here, but if you can’t find them, you can substitute pitted green olives without pimentos. For the best results, use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil here.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head. Place cauliflower stem side up. Using kitchen shears, cut stems vertically around core to remove large florets. Cut florets through stems into 1- to 1½-inch pieces. Cut core into ½-inch pieces. (You should have about 7 cups cauliflower total.)

2. Toss cauliflower, ¼ cup oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together on rimmed baking sheet. Spread cauliflower into even layer, cut side down. Roast until cauliflower is tender and browned on bottom, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine olives, mint, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, remaining ¼ cup oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped, about 6 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pine nuts and pulse until just combined, about 2 pulses.

4. Transfer cauliflower to platter. Spoon half of sauce evenly over cauliflower. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.