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    A Full Living » Blog » Side Dishes

    Published: Jul 1, 2021 · Modified: Dec 22, 2021 by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pesto Cauliflower with Crispy Parmesan

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    parmesan roasted pesto cauliflower graphic with text

    Anyone that says cauliflower is boring has clearly never this this easy side! This super crispy pesto cauliflower is made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and is absolutely scrumptious. Roasted cauliflower is the perfect canvas for a little homemade basil walnut pesto, extra parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon. The perfect side to accompany a variety of main dishes!


    crispy pesto cauliflower with parmesan cheese

    We honestly love cauliflower around here, because it's easy to dress up, while being low in carbs and calories. This pesto roasted cauliflower is no exception. It's one of those sides that absolutely steals the show. We're just really not into boring food around here, and we know you're going to love this yummy dish with minimal prep time.

    We cover some common questions in the body of this post, as well as show lots of step by step photos. You can however skip right to the recipe card to get right into the details. You can also view this post as a google web story here!

    Ingredients:​

    crispy parmesan pesto cauliflower ingredients with text to denote different ingredients
    • Large head cauliflower - You could also use some pre-cut cauliflower florets. Either way, you want about 1 pound of cauliflower florets whichever method you choose. If you prefer, you could use cauliflower rice probably, though we haven't tested this method ourselves. We're sure it will affect the baking time. If you try it, let us know in the comments how it went!
    • Homemade basil pesto with walnuts - We use our walnut pesto recipe for this dish (and for so many other dishes you will find on this site) and it's just the best. You can whip it up a few days in advance. Either way it's really simple to put together in a food processor or high power blender. You can make your own variation of pesto, or simply use your favorite store bought, but just be sure to calculate your nutrition facts accordingly!
    • Olive oil - We do still need a little bit of additional olive oil to prep this cauliflower for the oven.
    • Lemon juice - Lemon juice adds a little sweetness, brightness and acidity to this rich side.
    • Kosher salt and black pepper - Just a bit of each, and add slowly to taste, especially when it comes to the salt. Since salt levels can vary from different brands or recipes of pesto, we don't want to you to add too much and then be disappointed by the outcome!
    • Shredded parmesan cheese - We do normal say to use freshly shredded or grated, but for this recipe we think it's totally fine to use pre-shredded parmesan cheese.
    • Garnish with: fresh basil, lemon, more parmesan, all optional!

    How to Make Crispy Roasted Pesto Cauliflower:

    Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, lemon juice, half the olive oil, and half the salt and pepper, and half the pesto. Toss to combine.

    cauliflower in a bowl with olive oil. salt, pepper and lemon juice
    cauliflower florets in a bowl coated with pesto

    Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, unless using a cast iron baking sheet like we are. (You don't need parchment for that!) Make sure to spread the cauliflower apart, and place the flat side down on the baking sheet to help it get really crispy. Bake for 20 minutes.

    cauliflower with pesto on a cast iron baking sheet
    close up shot of cauliflower on a baking sheet with pesto

    Remove from the oven, toss, and then add most of the parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, and broil for 3-5 minutes for crispy bits.

    halfway roasted pesto cauliflower with parmesan cheese on a baking sheet
    baked pesto cauliflower with parmesan
    up lose shot of crispy baked cauliflower

    Drizzle with remaining pesto, and season to taste. Garnish with more parmesan cheese, fresh basil, salt, pepper and fresh lemon.

    close up shot of crispy pesto drenched cauliflower with parmesan cheese
    pesto cauliflower with parmesan on a white plate with a bowl of pesto nerarby

    Tips For The Best Cauliflower:

    • Make sure to spread out as much as possible on a baking sheet so the cauliflower gets a nice crispy side rather than "steaming".
    • Our homemade pesto can be made up to 10 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
    • Pre-shredded cheese will work just fine for this.

    What To Serve with This Crispy Cauliflower with Pesto:

    • Any protein you'd like! Fish, steak, chicken, pork, anything!
    • Try it with these cast iron garlic lemon butter scallops!
    • Cheesy baked meatballs
    • Keto antipasto salad
    close up shot of crispy pesto cauliflower

    More Recipes To Try:

    • Cauliflower mushroom skillet with garlic lemon butter sauce
    • Steak caprese skewers
    • Burrata caprese salad
    • Roasted cauliflower and asparagus with parmesan and lemon

    Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this massive list of over 85+ low carb and keto friendly recipes on our site!

    Shop This Recipe:

    Want to get supplies for this recipe or shop our keto kitchen or pantry? We've linked our favorites above and right here in our Amazon Store!  

    A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to promote a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we use and love. It doesn't cost you anything extra to shop using our links, but we earn a small commission that helps us keep this site going! 

    crispy pesto cauliflower with parmesan cheese on a plate on a blue backdrop

    If you get a chance to try this recipe, let us know what you think, would ya?! Leave us a comment, or catch up with us on Facebook or Instagram, or pin to your favorite Pinterest board for later. We love sharing your versions of our creations over on Instagram @afullliving!

    If you could please leave a comment and/or a rating if you loved this recipe, we would be forever grateful! (Ratings helps users find our recipes, since users say that they like them!)

    Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to subscribe to our email newsletter so you're the first to know about new recipes we post on our blog.

    Until Next Time,
    Briana & Chamere

    crispy pesto cauliflower with parmesan cheese

    Pesto Cauliflower with Crispy Parmesan

    Anyone that says cauliflower is boring has clearly never this this easy side! This super crispy pesto cauliflower is made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and is absolutely scrumptious. Roasted cauliflower is the perfect canvas for a little homemade basil walnut pesto, extra parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon. The perfect side to accompany a variety of main dishes!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: Briana

    Ingredients

    • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about the juice of half a lemon)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • ½ cup homemade walnut basil pesto (use store bought or our recipe)
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded and divided
    • Garnish with: Lemon, fresh basil, parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, lemon juice, half the olive oil, and half the salt and pepper, and half the pesto. Toss to combine.
    • Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, unless using a cast iron baking sheet like we are. (You don’t need parchment for that!) Make sure to spread the cauliflower apart, and place the flat side down on the baking sheet to help it get really crispy. Bake for 20 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven, toss, and then add most of the parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, and broil for 3-5 minutes for crispy bits. Drizzle with remaining pesto, and season to taste. Garnish with more parmesan cheese, fresh basil, salt, pepper and fresh lemon.
    • Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    Notes

    • This recipe was made using about 3 servings of our homemade walnut pesto recipe if you want to use store bought, feel free, but be sure to adjust the macros accordingly! 
    • Pre-shredded parmesan cheese will work perfectly fine for this recipe, but you're always welcome to shred your own. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 574mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 352IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 1mg

    These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.

    Did you love it?If you made this recipe, make sure to show us on Instagram at @AFullLiving or tag #AFullLiving! We love to see what you guys are making!
    Course: Side Dish, Sides
    Cuisine: American, Italian-American

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jane says

      July 22, 2022 at 3:05 am

      5 stars
      Excellent!
      I added sun dried tomatoes in the final stage. Topped with crispy shiitake mushrooms and topped with poached egg. Used a combo of Olive, chilli and garlic oil.
      About as good as you’ll get in any 5 star restaurant.

      Reply
      • Briana says

        July 22, 2022 at 10:58 am

        Wow, Jane! We want to come over for brunch at your house! Love the additions you made. Thanks for the sweet comment and for giving this recipe a try! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jane says

      July 22, 2022 at 3:02 am

      5 stars
      This was fantastic. I used a combo of garlic and chilli oil. I put in some finely chopped sundried tomatoes in the last 10 mins. Being vegetarian,I popped a poached egg and some crispy shiitake mushrooms on top. As good as you’ll get in a 5* restaurant…

      Reply
    3. Robyn Pooldaily says

      July 04, 2021 at 11:33 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great idea! Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables too!

      Reply
      • Briana says

        July 05, 2021 at 3:57 pm

        Thanks Robyn!! Hope you love it 🙂

        Reply

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