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Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

Romesco sauce has a long and storied history in Catalonia, Spain, where families have been enjoying this flavorful tomato and pepper gravy for centuries. The sauce is said to have been created by local fisherman to be eaten with fish, which traditionally has been a huge part of the diet of this coastal area. Our version pairs this complex and bright sauce with whole roasted cauliflower for a lively take roasted veggies as a side dish.

Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

The name Romesco comes from the Mozarabic word “remescolar” which means “to mix”. These Arab-speaking Christians invented the sauce sometime in the 15th century, but following the import of tomatoes from the New World the recipe was transformed to what we know it as today.

The thick and peppery sauce is made from red bell peppers and tomatoes. Flavors of citrus liven it up and ground nuts thicken and add protein. Some recipes even call for stale bread to be used for thickening, however our version is gluten-free.

Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

The fantastic thing about this dish is that no single recipe is correct. Most families in Catalonia have their own recipe, each with a unique flavor and ingredients. It’s not unusual for wine, sherry, dill, or tarragon to be used in this flavorful dish. The secret ingredient in our recipe is oven-roasted garlic. We’re baking ours in foil with some olive oil and the result is a sweet, soft, and utterly delicious garlic that mixes effortlessly into the sauce.

Don’t bother peeling the garlic cloves as the baking will ensure they they slide right out of their skins with very little elbow grease.

Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

After roasting your veggies and then mixing them in the food processor, spread the sauce on a serving platter and place the whole, roasted cauliflower over the sauce. Or drizzle the sauce over the cauliflower.

The cauliflower is fall-apart tender when you take it out of the oven, perfect for slicing into. A sprinkle of sea salt on top and some lemon wedges on the side complete this intensely delicious Catalonian dish.

Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

Yield(s): 4-6 servings

25m prep time

1h 15m cook time

143 calories

Allergens: Nuts, Citrus

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Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, stem trimmed
  • 3 ½ teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 3/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 5 small tomatoes, halved
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • large grain sea salt for garnish (optional)
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Place cauliflower on lined, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with1 teaspoon olive oil and bake for 60-75 minutes or until darkened around the edges. Add peppers to pan 30 minutes into baking and drizzle them with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
  2. While cauliflower bakes place garlic in square of foil. Drizzle with 1/ 2 teaspoon olive oil close foil tightly. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and remove garlic from foil. Allow to cool for 25 minutes then press the cloves from the skin. Discard skin and set garlic aside.
  3. When peppers are softened and charred slightly add them to a food processor along with ½ teaspoon olive oil, almonds, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, red wine vinegar, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Mix until puréed.
  4. Spread sauce over serving platter and place cauliflower on top. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some parsley on top, and add some flaky sea salt, too.

Recipe adapted from Delicious.