Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe was inspired by my fabulous friend Sarah.  She told me that when she roasts cauliflower, she sometimes slices the whole thing into planks rather than breaking it up into florets.  It helps them to cook evenly and it creates a nice presentation.  I was planning on making roasted cauliflower that night anyway, so I tried it!

I had a fairly small head of cauliflower this time, so I only got about 3 good slices out of it.  But if you had a larger one, you would probably be able to get at least 4.  The end slices will probably fall apart, that's ok, just roast them with the others anyway.

We rounded out the meal with a green salad with Yumm sauce dressing, and a couple of bread sticks with leftover pizza sauce.  Kind of a random mix, but it works for us!

Roasted Cauliflower
inspired by Sarah
Serves 4-6

1 large head of cauliflower
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons mixed fresh minced herbs (optional)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Slice the cauliflower lengthwise into planks about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.  Lay them onto a cookie sheet lined with foil, along with any end pieces that might have fallen apart.  Drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the herbs.

Roast for about 20-25 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to flip the planks.  When they look tender and are browning nicely, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and grated cheese.  Roast for another 5 or so minutes until the cheese is bubbling slightly and the bread crumbs look toasted.