Cooking is Chemistry, and here is lesson 101 about applying heat to food in layman’s terms: Roasting cauliflower condenses its juices, browns the crevices, and the florets become sweet, irresistible bites. 

Roasting cauliflower is one of my all-time favorite ways of eating the vegetable. This recipe for Sausage and Roasted Cauliflower is a convenient way to prepare a meal because everything cooks together at the same time. The big surprise in this recipe is the flavor of the cumin seeds and the drizzle of garlicky yogurt sauce. It doesn’t sound like garlic and yogurt would work together, but believe me, you are going to love it, and you may want to double the yogurt dipping sauce. 

If there is a downside to the recipe, it is that I want to devour the entire head, all by myself, in one sitting. Sharing becomes difficult. Whenever I have cooked this, there is no need for a salad or other side dishes. It is a satisfying, easy-to-make dinner. 

Ingredients

• 1 Cauliflower, cut into florets (1.25 lb Pre cut)
• ¼ C Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 t Cumin seeds
• ½ t Kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ¼ t Ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 lb Italian sausages, pricked with a fork
• 1/3 C Plain yogurt, preferably non-Greek, whole milk
• 1 Garlic clove
• Turkish or Aleppo pepper, as needed
• Toasted pine nuts, for serving (see note)
• Fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, or mint, for serving (optional)

Melissa Clark – Serves 4

Directions

• Heat the oven to 425°F.
• Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
• Coat the sausages lightly with olive oil, place them on another rimmed baking sheet, and add them to the oven with the cauliflower. Turn the sausages over halfway through, until the sausages are golden and cooked through and the cauliflower is tender and caramelized, about 25 minutes.
• While the cauliflower and sausages are cooking, prepare the yogurt sauce: Place the yogurt in a small bowl, grate the garlic clove over the yogurt, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir together.
• Place the sausages and cauliflower on a platter or individual serving plates. Spoon the yogurt sauce on top, and sprinkle with Turkish pepper, pine nuts, and fresh herbs if using.
• Note: To toast pine nuts, heat the nuts in a small saucepan or skillet set over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure even toasting. Toast the nuts until they are golden and fragrant, watching carefully to ensure they do not burn, 2 to 3 minutes.