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Prep time
1 hour 20 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour
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Serves
5
Author Notes
This recipe was inspired by recipes for cauliflower steaks (roasted 1-inch slabs topped with oil, garlic, hummus, diced tomatoes, and other stuff). —Brian Coppola
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Ingredients
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1
large head of cauliflower
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16 ounces
sweet Italian sausage, crumbed and browned in EVOO
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1
large red pepper, diced
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1
large Vidalia onion, diced
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1 tablespoon
minced garlic in oil
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12 ounces
thick sliced mozzarella (10-13 slices)
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3 tablespoons
fennel seeds
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2 tablespoons
rosemary leaves
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2 tablespoons
fresh ground black pepper
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1/2 cup
shredded parmesan or asiago
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1.5 cups
Italian red sauce
Directions
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Brown the Italian sausage. Near the end of the browning, add and mix the garlic, then add fennel seeds, and rosemary leaves. Heat for a few moments until aromatic and then reserve (use a slotted spoon and keep the fat in the pan).
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Caramelize the onions in the hot sausage fat. About half way through the process add the red pepper. Near the end, combine with the sausage. Heat and mix thoroughly. Reserve.
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My Italian red sauce is posted elsewhere. Briefly: Caramelize two diced sweet onions with a diced red pepper. Add these to a food processor with a large can of DOP San Marzano tomatoes, a roasted red pepper, a can of tomato paste, EVOO, herbs and spices to preference. Process together and simmer on low for an hour.
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Cut the stem from a large head of cauliflower and remove the leaves. Slice as best as you can into 5 ca. 1-inch slices. I can usually get 3 full slices to hang together and then the remaining pieces just need to be collected.
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The slices and pieces are laid out on a baking pan covered with oiled parchment, then sprayed with oil and dusted with ground black pepper. Roast at 450 F for 15-20 minutes on one side. Use a large spatula and turn over all of the pieces, spray with oil and roast another 15-20 minutes, until tender and golden brown. Remove and reduce the heat to 350 F.
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Carefully remove the cauliflower to oven-save serving dishes. Coat the cauliflower with tomato sauce.
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Place 2-2.5 pieces of mozzarella on each one.
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Top with a generous portion of the sausage mixture. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly and a little browned. Top with some shredded parmesan.
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