I think most of us can agree that the food network (along with HGTV) is one of the only good things about cable television. Like most good millennials, Andrew and I don’t have cable but instead have every single streaming service known. Well, I borrow Hulu and HBO because I have great friends but I digress. Food network is amazing and the best part of it is Ina Garten AKA the Barefoot Contessa. This amazing Roasted Cauliflower Skillet with Feta Cheese is a vegetarian adaptation of one of her recipes.
My mom might be the Barefoot Contessa’s biggest fan. She collects her cookbooks which makes her a really easy person to buy gifts for. This recipe is adapted from her Shrimp and Feta recipe out of her “How Easy is That?” cookbook. This book is full of gems, most of them being meat but I had a hunch this one would be great substituted with Cauliflower which was right.
Cauliflower is a fantastically versatile vegetable because it is meaty, filling, delicious when roasted on it’s own and takes in flavors really well. It can do almost anything basically. I personally also prefer it to actual shrimp so in this case, this isn’t even a substitute where I would miss the meat at all.
The fennel in this recipe also adds a really special flavor here. If you haven’t had fennel, raw it can kind of taste like black licorice which is not my favorite. But roasted, or stewed like it is here brings out it’s sweetness and it really adds a different, unexpected flavor to this dish.
This recipe is a great way to round out the month of may while we’re technically in Spring but still dealing with some chilly rainy days like today. It’s warm, comforting and delicious. My mom used to serve it as an appetizer with crusty bread, but I’d recommend serving this over some rice pilaf and indulging.
If you like this recipe please rate, comment or pin it on pinterest we really love the support!
Until Next Time,
Jackie & Andrew
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Roasted Cauliflower Skillet with Feta Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Description
Roasted cauliflower tossed in a white wine tomato sauce, topped with crispy breadcrumbs, fresh herbs and feta cheese and finished with lemon juice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 fennel bulbs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 8 oz feta cheese
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- juice and zest of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat to tablespoons of the olive oil oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is softened. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes ensuring it does not burn.
- Add in the wine and bring to a simmer, use a spatula to scrape any bits of fennel or garlic that might be stuck at this point. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and salt and pepper. Whisk until the tomato paste is thinned and everything is incorporated. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Next add in the cauliflower florets. Give them a light toss in the sauce so they are coated. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon zest with two more tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle this mixture over the cauliflower. Then take the feta and crumble it over the whole dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is a little soft but still crunchy and the top is browning. Once the cauliflower is softened, you can put it in the broiler for 1 minute to brown it better. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and serve with rice or crusty bread for dipping.
