Cauliflower Casserole with Italian Sauce

My guys will eat almost anything as long as it has a good sauce to go with it, and this cauliflower casserole I adapted from Cooking Light is more proof of that. They don’t like cauliflower, and though they’ve done pretty well with occasional roasted cauliflower, they don’t ask for this white vegetable.

But Italian sauce…they love lots of Italian sauce on just about anything. Even cauliflower.

So I tried it. I bought big heads of cauliflower and brought them home, proudly displayed them on the kitchen island, and said we were having them for dinner. Michael gave me the side eye and said he would try it. A little while later as he worked in his office, he shouted out to me, “Something smells good!” That was the sauce. I quickly steamed the cauliflower, put it in the baking dish and poured sauce all over it, then gave it a few sprinkles of Grana Padano cheese. Five minutes under the broiler, and it was ready.

I admit I held my breath while Michael tasted it. He waved his arms around and said how delicious it was, and commented that the cauliflower didn’t have the noxious sulfur taste that it can get when overcooked. The boys ate all of their cauliflower at dinner and asked if we could have this again.

Mom win!

📖 Recipe

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Cauliflower Casserole with Italian Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Vegetable

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: cauliflower, gluten free, parmesan cheese, pasta sauce, vegetarian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Andrea Meyers

Equipment

• large skillet
• 6 quart pot with lid
• 9x13-inch baking dish, coated with olive oil

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 ounces pitted kalamata olives (coarsely chopped)
• 1½ pounds cauliflower (cut into florets)
• ¼ cup grated fresh Grana Padano cheese ( or Parmigiano cheese, or vegan alternative)

US Customary - Metric

Preparation

• Heat the large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion, and sauté until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the sauce, salt, peppers, and olives.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Steam the cauliflower florets in the 6-quart pot until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and put it in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle on the cheese.
• Broil until the cheese is soft and browned, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

The original recipe includes sirloin steak, which is very tasty. You can use cannellini beans to make this a vegetarian dish.

The original recipe uses bread crumbs in the topping. To make it gluten-free for me, I skip the bread crumbs and serve hearty Italian bread on the side for the family.

For a time saver, you can use 1 pound of frozen cauliflower florets.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 967mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg

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More Cauliflower Recipes From Other Blogs

• An Edible Mosaic – Green Pea, Baby Potato, and Cauliflower Curry
• Connoisseurus Veg – Roasted Cauliflower Tikka
• Apples & Sparkle – Crispy Italian Cauliflower Poppers with Marinara
• The Wicked Noodle – Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]