Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
This roasted cauliflower is dressed up with the creamiest red pepper sauce. It's the perfect veggie for any dinner.
A few weeks back, my husband and I had a one-night-getaway while we were in San Diego visiting his parents. We stayed at Hotel Del Coronado, and loved being on the beach so much. The sound of the ocean and the feel of the sand between my toes is my little piece of heaven on earth.
We arrived early to check-in, but thanks to COVID, they had plenty of rooms available. We took our bags up to the room, and left shortly after to go and get lunch and then took a long walk on the beach.
When we tired of our walk, we sat in the sand and decided to read up on the history of this historic hotel we were staying in. We found out that there was a room in the hotel that is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Kate Morgan. With a little further investigation and with a page that wouldn’t load, we discovered that the haunted room was the room we were put in!
Tim and I don’t do anything remotely scary or haunted. We booked it up to our room, packed our bags, and headed down to the front desk to ask for a different room. They were more than happy to oblige, but boy oh boy, what a fun story to retell. Supposedly, that room is the most requested room, especially during the month of October. How in the world we wound up with it, I’ll never know.
After getting our new room, we headed to dinner at Serea. We enjoyed this dinner a lot, but it is pricey. We’ve learned to order veggies for an appetizer at high-end restaurants because it is usually a large portion and helps fill you up for the smaller portion you get for your entree.
We ordered the Wood Roasted Cauliflower, and I knew right away that it was a dish I needed to try and recreate. I’ve always loved cauliflower, but feel like a majority of people turn their nose up at it.
This dish is such a hearty side or appetizer. The sauce is creamy and adds just the right amount of richness to the cauliflower. I took some over to my neighbor, not knowing she also loved cauliflower, and she sent me a text saying it was the best she had ever had and that she literally licked the plate clean.
This recipe comes together quickly, and the sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- 1 cup roasted red peppers
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 oz cream cheese
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ garlic, diced
- 1 TBS butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a small bowl, combine paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Stir until combined and set aside.
- Rinse and dry your head of cauliflower. Trim off the stem at the bottom, but try to keep the rest of the head of cauliflower intact. With a pastry brush, rub the olive oil over the entire head. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, then sprinkle the remaining spices over the cauliflower.
- Place cauliflower in an 8×8 pan and cover with foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.
- In a small blender, place the roasted red peppers and blend until smooth. The liquid from the jarred peppers should be enough to get it blended. If not, add about one tablespoon of the liquid from the jar.
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 TBS of butter and quickly cook the garlic until fragrant.
- Add in blended red peppers, cream, and pepper. Cook until it starts to bubble around the edges.
- Add in cream cheese and cook until melted and combine. Pour under or over the cauliflower depending on how you are serving it.
Very impressive!
Thank you!