Cauliflower, bacon, and olives…I’ve just named 3 of my beau’s favorite foods. That’s why this recipe was a must-make the week we saw it in the paper. The original calls for pancetta but bacon is just as tasty. Best part? It all comes together on a sheet pan.
Place 1 head of cauliflower (florets) on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast at 425 for 15 minutes. While it’s roasting, whisk together 1/3 c. mediterranean olives (pitted and chopped), 1 clove grated garlic, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes, salt and 1/4 c olive oil. When the 15 minutes are up, remove the cauliflower from the oven and add chopped bacon (I think I used 4 or 5 slices), cumin, and caraway seeds (3/4 tsp total). Toss it up a little on the pan and top with 1/2 shredded Parmesan. NOTE: use shredded, not grated so it crisps up nicely. Put the pan back in the oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes. Dump the cauli mix into a serving bowl, spoon the olive/lemon dressing over the whole thing, and toss to combine.
Note: the flavor of the dressing is strong so don’t dump it on all at once. Drizzle, toss, and taste. I only needed about half of the dressing I’d prepared.
This would go really well with fish and the bacon makes it feel very holiday-ish so I’m thinking this would be a great side to serve on Xmas Eve, especially if you host a feast of the 7 fishes…or even if you don’t.
Peaches to Apples 