Roasted Cauliflower With Pine Nut, Raisin, and Caper Vinaigrette

Simple roasted cauliflower gets dressed up with a Sicilian-inspired vinaigrette.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated September 12, 2024

Why It Works

  • Slicing the head of cauliflower into wedges, rather than cutting it into small pieces, creates greater contrast between the caramelized exterior and tender interior.
  • A sweet and tangy vinaigrette nicely complements the nuttiness of the cauliflower.

Cauliflower and broccoli look similar at first, and the goal is the same when you're roasting them—sweet nuttiness from browning and caramelization—but cauliflower (and its cousin romanesco) is much denser than broccoli, and thus needs to be treated differently to get there.

Closeup of Roasted Cauliflower With Pine Nut, Raisin, and Caper Vinaigrette, served on a square white plate.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

As with other brassicas, high heat is what you're after here in order to get the most flavor out of cauliflower. Cutting the heads up into fat wedges helps build up a nice contrast between the deeply browned exterior and the tender, meaty interior. It's cauliflower that eats almost like a steak.

Close-up of roasted, deeply browned wedges of cauliflower.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

I have found that the best method is to split trimmed cauliflower (or romanesco) through the core into six to eight wedges, toss with oil, season, and roast at 500°F (260°C) until browned and tender, flipping once during cooking.

Charred cauliflower florets on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Roasted cauliflower is great on its own, with just a drizzle of really good olive oil or lemon, but I like to turn mine into a warm salad with a more elaborate vinaigrette, like this one flavored with pine nuts, capers, and raisins.

December 2013

Recipe Details

Roasted Cauliflower With Pine Nut, Raisin, and Caper Vinaigrette Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 8 wedges

  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) sherry vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) honey

  • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped

  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Toss cauliflower with 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast until cauliflower is tender and deeply browned on both sides, about 20 minutes total, flipping cauliflower with a thin metal spatula halfway through roasting.

  2. While cauliflower roasts, combine remaining 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil, vinegar, honey, capers, pine nuts, raisins, and parsley. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. Transfer cooked cauliflower to a serving plate and spoon dressing on top. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, thin metal spatula

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
316Calories
27gFat
19gCarbs
4gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories316
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g34%
Saturated Fat 3g17%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 282mg12%
Total Carbohydrate 19g7%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 65mg325%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 1mg8%
Potassium 338mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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