Grana Padano cauliflower florets with parsley dip

  • Antipasto
  • 4
  • 40 minutes
Not yet rated

This dish of crisp, cheesy cauliflower florets is a fantastic dish to serve either as a starter or as part of an antipasti platter. The florets are roasted in breadcrumbs flavoured with garlic and Grana Padano cheese, perfect for dipping into the punchy parsley and anchovy sauce.

First published in 2019

Wholesome yet moreish, these cheese-crusted cauliflower florets are deliciously crisp and savoury thanks to a coating of Grana Padano and garlicky breadcrumbs. Serve them with a vinegar-spiked parsley dip as a colourful snack or as part of an antipasti spread.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 1.5kg cauliflower florets
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 50g of fine breadcrumbs
  • 50g of Grana Padano, freshly grated
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • fine sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Parsley dip

  • 50g of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • 5 capers, drained
  • 50g of stale bread, crusts removed
  • 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
  • 150ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Method

1
Start by making the parsley dip. Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend at a medium speed until you have a smooth, creamy dip – if needed, add a little more oil until you reach the right texture. Scrape the sides of the food processor once or twice as you go. Transfer the dip to a bowl and keep chilled while you bake the cauliflower
2
Preheat the oven to 220˚C/gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside
3
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil plus a pinch of salt and pepper until evenly dressed
4
In a smaller bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, grated Grana Padano and the grated garlic. Add this mix to the cauliflowers and stir until fully coated
5
Scatter the cauliflower florets on the prepared baking sheet. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Stir and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a serving platter alongside the parsley dip

Valeria Necchio is an Italian food writer and photographer with roots in the Venetian countryside.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.

You may also like

Load more