Have you ever spied a beautiful, chartreuse-colored, cauliflower with a spiral row of flowers cascading down its sides like a circular staircase? You’ve just beheld a Romanesco cauliflower, also called Romanesco broccoli, or simply Romanesco. I first saw one of these gorgeous vegetables at the farmers market in Pasadena, and ever since then I get giddy when I see one show up at my local farmers market in Ojai. I can’t wait to bring it home and cook with it in my kitchen. And the Romanesco recipe I love to make most often is this simple Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower with Raisins and Pine Nuts, which is a delicious vegan gluten-free vegetable side dish packed with nutrition.
When you have something as beautiful as Romanesco in your kitchen, it’s all about minimal food preparation, as you want to draw attention to the gorgeous plant food as much as possible. In fact, Romanesco’s striking geometric nature, with its series of smaller buds arranged in a logarithmic spiral with the smallest bud becoming sufficiently small, represents a Fibonacci number! Leave it to Mother Nature, right?
At the heart of Romanesco, though, is its beautiful color and taste. My favorite way to serve this beautiful, health-promoting cruciferous vegetable is roasted, in a simply prepared dish, such as this Romanesco recipe I’m sharing with you today. Buon appetito! Learn more about how to cook with Romanesco and additional Romanesco recipes here.
Description
Turn the magical, geometric beauty of Romanesco cauliflower into a simple, rustic vegan, gluten-free veggie side dish in this recipe for Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower with Raisins and Pine Nuts.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Break apart Romanesco cauliflower into smaller pieces. Place in a 9 x 9” baking dish.
- In a small dish, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, seasoning salt, black pepper, and garlic with a fork.
- Pour the olive oil mixture over the Romanesco and toss to distribute.
- Place the baking dish in the top rack of the oven and roast uncovered for about 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with raisins and pine nuts, and toss with the Romanesco to turn and distribute the ingredients.
- Roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until Romanesco is golden brown and tender.
- Remove and serve immediately.
- Makes 4 servings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
For other plant-based vegetable side-dishes, try the following recipes:
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