Cauliflower Parmesan Recipe (2024)

Delicious! Whole family loved it. Instead of frying the cauliflower I placed dredged cauliflower on sprayed rack on cookie sheet, sprayed cauliflower with olive oil cooking spray and baked at 425 for 24 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through to get a nice toasted color.

Took advice from several other reviewers below--roasted the cauliflour for 30 minutes at 425 instead of frying--toasted some panko with olive oil on the stovetop to add between layers for extra texture, and to top casserole, along with parm. Also threw in another clove or two of garlic to the sauce, because I like things garlicky. Absolutely delicious!!! (I also washed dishes in stages, so my kitchen is still in pretty good shape.

I have made this both ways: with fried cauliflower as in the recipe, and with roasted, as in the suggestions. The results are two different dishes, so which to make depends on what you are looking for. With the roasted cauliflower, the flavor and texture of the finished dish was very "saucy." With the fried, it was a more satisfying main course and the cauliflower flavor came through. Both are delicious, but my favorite was the fried. Panko is key!

I roasted the cauliflower until golden, toasted some panko on the stove with a little bit of olive oil and when putting the dish together, I layered panko on top of the cauliflower prior to baking. Also added sautéed leeks, onions, and several cloves of garlic. Used almost 2 jars of Rao's sauce. Prior to serving, I threw on some additional panko for some extra crunch. Wonderful dish!

The calories are very exaggerated because of the vague "oil for frying". Much better to avoid the oil, the breading hassle and the "soggy glop" trap (especially re-heated) by roasting the cauliflower instead. Many good recipes to use as a guide from NYT Cooking like Amanda Hesser's: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7588-roasted-cauliflower
For a Parmesan I would slice the cauliflower thicker, roast at 400 for more crisping and turn every 12-15 min. for even browning.

Instead of frying the cauliflower, I would suggest making it this way instead. The cauliflower will come out crunchy and crispy without the oil. http://www.thehungryhedgehog.com/baked-garlic-parmesan-cauliflower-bites/

Like another reader, I sliced the cauliflower into slices (4 per head) and brushed lightly with olive oil (no breaking) at 425 for about 30 min total (flipped once). I also substituted low-fat mozarella to make it a little less of a calorie bomb and it was terrific. Definitely a repeat. I also roasted the cauliflower ahead of time and my teenaged son did the rest so it was ready when I walked in the door. Terrific!

Use Hazan's tomato sauce. Forget coating. Roast cauliflower with olive oil instead of deep frying. A good use for fresh Mozz. (Avoid carbs not calories).

Made this dish once before and fried the cauliflower. Just used our Philips Airfryer to cook the cauliflower and it worked wonderfully. No oil mess and odor. Cauliflower nice and crisp. Air frying made this dish even better. Just a consumer, no tie in with Philips, one happy cook.

As a vegetarian family, my husband said that the breaded cauliflower was so rich and tender that he thought he was eating meat (that is a compliment from the one non-vegetarian in the family). He gave the meal five stars.

Yo everyone be like I roasted this instead of fried but all I say is I fried it correct and it was better.

Normally, I would not use the word "decadent" in conjunction with cauliflower. This recipe, however, puts cauliflower smack dab in the middle of the decadent crowd. It was beautiful and smelled amazing. We had some fresh mozzarella that we had smoked and we used that in place of the regular mozz. The leftovers made the most amazing sandwiches. If you love parmesan-style anything, this recipe is a must. If you think you don't like cauliflower, make this and it will change your mind.

I needed to clean out my fridge for a holiday outing so I added sautéed leeks, green onions, onion, mushrooms, fennel, green bell pepper, and spinach. Made for lovely additions to this delightful dish.

This is terrific; i roasted the cauliflower which kept it nice and chunky plus gave it that extra roasty flavor.

I roasted the cauliflower also (tossed florets in olive oil with salt and pepper and roasted at 400F for 30 minutes), then followed the recipe as written, albeit with less sauce (for which I used the Simple sauce). I don't know how the lack of frying affects the flavour of the dish, but we decided that this version is a keeper.

Next time I will use only a tablespoon or two of oil to saute the garlic and double the sauce recipe, cut the cauliflower into steaks. dip them in plant milk and Panko crumbs (no egg), and roast rather than fry.

Made this with a double batch of Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce. It was so delicious — worth the effort of frying. I made homemade GF breadcrumbs too and that worked great as a sub for panko. Will absolutely make again.

Roasted cauliflower at 425 convection with oil, salt, and some sprigs of rosemary and sage. When done put in oiled casserole dish in one layer. Added some very watery tomato sauce to cover (knowing it would cook down and infuse the cauliflower). Nestled in some chunks of mozzarella. Spread a mixture of panko, oil, parm, salt/pepper and Italian herbs on top. Baked uncovered till brown. Delicious gratin though different than Italian American parm. Lighter so the fresh flavors come through.

As a child I would watch my Italian mother make parmigiana for hours in the kitchen, and I'd tell her it was a tool of oppression against generations of Italian women.Now I am a high-powered working mother, and this is one of my favorite recipes to make on Friday afternoons when I should be working. I dredge and fry, then carefully wash all the pans before the family gets home to a bubbling dish and clean kitchen. It’s the act of rebellion my peasant ancestors patiently planted long ago.

Yes this was a caloric bomb for sure, though I am sure my body will digest this dinner more easily than with the animal proteins of chicken. Melissa Clark reigns Supreme for this bachelor 60-something. Cheers

I followed advice from other posters and baked the breaded cauliflower, then dipped in sauce instead. Delicious.

Loved it. I read the "fry or roast" debate, and ended up doing both! I began by breading and frying, as the recipe instructs, and wow, something happens that is magical, fried cauliflower is irresistibly delicious. My teenager kept walking by and eating them. It's a lot of work and mess, so at some point I gave up and roasted the rest. I then combined the breaded fried pieces with the roasted cauliflower to make the final dish, which was rich and satisfying. Will make again!

Sooooo amazing. Made with the simple tomato sauce with only addition adding a shallot and it was amazing. So moist and filling.

Came out better than I thought it would, really crunchy and delicious - took some commenters' suggestions and coated the cauliflower in the flour/egg/panko but "air fried" in convection oven for 20 minutes while the sauce cooked. Could have used more sauce. Baked extra panko/egg goo on a separate tray to use as crunchy breadcrumbs on top.

This was delicious. My issue with the frying method wasn't due to calories or excessive oil or anything, it's just that it was pretty labor intensive and used a lot more dishes than I would like. Next time I will roast it but then also toast some breadcrumbs separately to scatter on the top at the end.

I roasted the cauliflower for 30 min, flipping at 15 min - dredged in flour, eggs and panko crumbs. Made the Hazan sauce but added one onion, a red pepper, extr garlic and then balsamic vinegar - would make double sauce next time

Love the flexibility of this recipe. I roasted the cauliflower by itself for about 30 min. and then layered it with sauce, parmesan, panko, spinach, mushrooms, and any leftover mild cheese I had on hand. So great and so easy to adapt. A keeper!

As a second generation Italian American, who loves a good “parm” anything, I feel the need to correct all of the cauliflower roasters out there:This is supposed to be a cauliflower version of the classic Italian-American chicken or veal parm. Which begins by being battered, as instructed, fried and then baked. Once you have roasted it, it is no longer the recipe stated, it’s something else. By frying it, you crisp it up and that will keep it from becoming a soggy, but tasty, mess.

This was exceptional made as written!! Wow! Going to try it again by baking the cauliflower instead of frying to try and speed up the prep.

I made this but used the air fryer for the cauliflower, just sprayed with olive oil and air fryed at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Worked great! Less mess, less oil