Ingredients
Method
Prepare Cauliflower Rice
- Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Cut 800g cauliflower into florets and remove the core. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles rice grains; work in batches to avoid over-processing into puree. You should have about 700g riced cauliflower—if it looks wet and very fine, it will roast softer, so spread thinner on the tray.
Season and Spread
- Toss cauliflower rice with 45ml olive oil, 12g garlic, 4g salt, 2g black pepper, and 5g oregano until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on two parchment-lined baking sheets—thin and wide beats thick and crowded.
Roast Until Golden
- Roast 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender and golden at the edges. Look for light caramelization on some pieces; that browned flavor is what makes this taste “roasted” instead of raw. If it’s still pale at 25 minutes, roast 3–5 minutes longer and watch color.
Finish and Serve
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in 30g butter until melted. Fold in 15g parsley and 30ml lemon juice. Top with 30g Parmesan and serve immediately—this is best hot, before cauliflower releases moisture as it cools.
Notes
Roasting is the advantage. Stovetop cauliflower rice often turns watery; roasting drives off moisture and develops caramelized flavor. Two trays and a thin layer are what make that possible.
Don’t over-process in the food processor. If you turn cauliflower into fine crumbs, it releases water quickly and won’t brown as well. Pulse short and stop when pieces look like small grains.
Finish ingredients belong off heat. Butter adds richness and helps carry flavor; lemon adds brightness that cuts the cauliflower’s brassica taste. Added after roasting, both stay cleaner and more pronounced.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat uncovered in a hot skillet to drive off moisture again; covered reheating traps steam and makes it watery.