Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Aleppo Pepper

Today I’m sharing Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Aleppo Pepper.

Every once in awhile, my mom will message me a series of instructions: “Roast the cauliflower in the oven and make a thin tahini sauce with lemon juice, water, garlic, pepper paste, it is sooooo good,” and I start to figure out how transform it into an actual dish.

I serve my family’s Fried Cauliflower with Lemon Garlic Sauce during my super clubs, and it’s always the biggest hit of the night. My guests simply can’t get enough of it! The best part is that this dish has the same bright, garlicky and fruity flavor profile, but it’s also smothered in creamy tahini. Intimidated by frying or don’t want to heat up oil and splatter it all over your stove? This recipe is for you.

You start by boiling the cauliflower until al dente, just to make sure it cooks through in the oven without burning the tahini. In a blender, you combine tahini, Aleppo or Turkish pepper paste, garlic and lemon juice. You drizzle in cold water until it becomes thin and syrupy. You then spread the cauliflower out on a roasting pan, sprinkle with salt, and then top it all with the sauce before covering and placing in the oven. It roasts for about an hour, first covered, and then uncovered, leaving tender cauliflower that soaks up the earthy, creamy sauce. Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt before serving.

The meatiness and structure of roasted cauliflower means that it not only makes a great side dish, but it can also double as a plant-based main course next to a serving of rice. To amplify that main course feel, I cut my cauliflower into “steaks” by keeping the stem intact, but florets also work well.

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it works out. I also love to see your creations! Tag @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks on Instagram!

Cauliflower is roasted in a fruity, bright and garlicky tahini sauce. This would make a great side dish, but it can also be served as a plant-based main course next to a side of rice. Par-boiling the cauliflower ensures that it cooks through in the oven without the tahini burning.

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 medium heads cauliflower, chopped into “steaks” or florets
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c tahini
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Aleppo or Turkish pepper paste
3/4 c lemon juice, from about 4 lemons
About 1 c cold water

To serve:
1-2 lemons
Sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Set a large pot over high heat and allow water to come to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until somewhat softened but still retaining a bite, about 5-15 minutes, depending on the cauliflower.
Add the tahini, garlic, pepper paste and lemon juice to a blender. With it running, slowly drizzle in the water until it becomes thin.
Drain the cauliflower and add to a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt and top with the tahini sauce. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and roast for about another 40 minutes, or until cauliflower is cooked through, rotating the pan halfway.
Serve warm with additional lemon and sprinkling of kosher salt.