Leftover tahini contributes nicely
to roasted asparagus, explains food reporter Lauren Delgado.
In my never-ending quest to use the forgotten ingredients tucked into the recesses of my pantry, I stumbled onto a half open jar of tahini this week from a previous adventure in making homemade hummus. (Remember the random can of chickpeas that I turned into a sandwich recently? This was a long homemade hummus obsession).
With a cauliflower head in my refrigerator, I decided to roast it in its entirety and use the tahini to make a lemony crust over top. The results were striking — it turned a nice tan color and I added a pop of green with parsley.
I’d use the recipe again if I had a vegetarian or vegetable loving friend coming over. I’m the only produce fan in my household, and the recipe is difficult to store.
The dish feels unwieldy for weekday lunches, between packing the sauce and trying to break down the cauliflower head without losing
too much crust.
If this is a food you’d like to enjoy throughout the week, my recommendation is to break down the raw cauliflower first into florets before drizzling them with the sauce, and then roast. Your cooking time will be shorter — probably about 20-30 minutes total.
Roasted Tahini Cauliflower
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1⁄2 cup tahini 1⁄2 cup warm water 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced into a paste 3⁄4 cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes (optional)
1 medium head cauliflower
1½ tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients — except for the cauliflower and parsley.
3. With a pastry brush or a spoon, spread the tahini mixture over the cauliflower, reserving ½ cup for dipping later. Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake the cauliflower for 45-55 minutes. The vegetable should be tender and the sauce should be just starting to darken in spots.
5. Allow the cauliflower to cool for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over top. Slices the cauliflower into four wedges and serve with remaining sauce.