Cheese-Topped Cauliflower Steaks
Cauliflower “steaks” were all the rage in upscale restaurants a few years ago, but they’re easy to make at home in any number of variations. To get thick slices, you’ll want to invest in a couple of cauliflowers and be prepared to turn the trimmings into soup or use for stir-fry for another meal. Or simply skip the slices and use florets instead. You can serve these with a light marinara sauce, but they are very tasty with no sauce at all.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 medium cauliflower heads (about 2 pounds each), cut into 12 (3⁄4-inch-thick) slices, trimmings reserved for another purpose Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
Salt and black pepper
12 slices fresh mozzarella (from a 1-pound package) 12 slices provolone (from 1 8-ounce package)
12 slices Monterey Jack (from 1 8-ounce package)
About cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1⁄2 cup dry, coarse breadcrumbs, preferably homemade (see Tips)
1⁄2
12 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry (optional) Pitted black olives, such as niçoise (optional) 2 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley 1 teaspoon roughly chopped rosemary
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower slices on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle both sides of the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, rotating the pans and switching racks halfway through, until fork-tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Top each cauliflower steak with a slice of fresh mozzarella, a slice of provolone and a slice of Monterey Jack. Sprinkle each steak with a generous amount of grated Parmesan or pecorino, a tiny bit of red pepper flakes and a heaping tablespoon of breadcrumbs, and bake until golden and bubbling, another 15 minutes.
Top each steak with a torn piece or two of anchovy (if using), a few black olives, a bit of parsley and rosemary.
Tips: You may prepare the cauliflower steaks in advance through the baking step, then reheat briefly to serve. They also taste good at room temperature. To make homemade breadcrumbs, pulse some bread in a food processor and leave the crumbs out at room temperature to dry out for a couple of hours.