Cauliflower Parmesan

Serves a Party of 2

You guessed it – another Italian style recipe to add to the books and hopefully to your dinner table.

I made this for a cozy date night this past Sunday, and it had my lady and I doing those little happy dances the entire time we ate it.

To plate, I first laid down some boiled Banza chickpea spaghetti, simmered Raos marinara with a diced red bell pepper and chopped kale, then layered the two and added the baked and breaded cauliflower, homemade cashew “mozzarella”, and a quickly blended basil pesto.

Usually I love to make my own tomato sauce, but sometimes it feels good to skip that part and save a bit of time by grabbing a good brand of sauce from the store(I try and find the brands like Raos that use actual tomatoes instead of concentrates and pastes).

As for the baked and breaded cauliflower, I used a gluten-free all purpose flour from the brand called Arrowhead, gluten-free bread crumbs(I get mine at Whole Foods), vegan parmesan, oat milk, dried oregano, and salt for the batter. After the batter is mixed to a pourable but thicker consistency, I simply dip and cover the sliced cauliflower until it is lightly covered, then add it to an oil baking sheet and in the oven on 450 degrees for at least 20 minutes. You will be absolutely surprised the first time you dig your fork into this thing, as it resembles a similar texture to the traditional chicken parmesan.

The cashew “mozzarella” and quickly blended basil pesto may sound a bit intimidating at first, but I swear after the first few times of making them you will realize how many great dishes they can be added to and how they 100% complete the cauliflower parmesan.

Ingredients for the Breaded Cauliflower:

  • 1 Head of Cauliflower
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups of Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 Cup of Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 Cup of Vegan Parmesan (I used the brand called Go Veggie)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Dried Oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 Cups of Plain Oat Milk

In a large bowl, mix around the flour, bread crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, and salt.

Drop in the oat milk and stir one last time until you get a thick but pourable mixture.

To slice the cauliflower is a bit tricky. I cut mine by sliced the entire head in half, then did the best I could to slice serving sized using the stem to hold it all together.

Dip the sliced cauliflower using your hands and give it a light coat of the batter.

Lay down the breaded cauliflower on a lightly oil baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the Spaghetti:

  • 1 Box of Banza Chickpea Pasta
  • About 6 Cups of Water
  • Pinch of Salt

Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil, add the salt and pasta and stir occasionally until the pasta is cooked but not too mushy.

Ingredients for the Sauce:

  • 1 Jar of Raos Marinara
  • 4 Cups of Chopped Green Kale
  • 1 Diced Red Bell Pepper

Simmer all ingredients in a large saucepan until the sauce begins to boil – cover then set aside.

Ingredients for the Cashew Mozzarella:

  • 1 Cup of Soaked Raw Cashews
  • 1 Cup of Plain Oat Milk
  • 1/4 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons of Tapioca Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • Salt/Pepper (to taste)

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and pulse until super creamy.

Heat up small pot and add in the cashew mozzarella, and continuously stir it until it begins to thicken(be sure not to over cook).

Ingredients for the Basil Pesto:

  • 1 Cup of Fresh Basil
  • 1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts
  • 4 Cloves of Garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor until you get a chunky but blended mixture.