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Cauliflower Piccata is my lighter, vegetarian take on the more traditional versions. Since the cauliflower steaks aren’t dredged in flour like typical piccata, it’s also naturally gluten-free. With this easy recipe, you’ll only spend about 5 minutes at the stovetop while the oven handles the rest, roasting the cauliflower steaks to tender, deeply caramelized perfection. I love how the silky lemon butter caper sauce drizzles over the top, making it both an elegant and convenient meal—perfect for a weeknight, yet special enough for any occasion.
Piccata recipes generally include meat (like veal, chicken or pork) that gets pounded flat, coated in flour, and seared on the stovetop. Here, I’ve swapped the protein for thinly sliced, roasted cauliflower steaks for a similar result. Though it strays from traditional Italian versions, this vegetarian piccata delivers the flavor and texture you’d expect from the classic dish.
“Marissa! I made this tonight, served with a side of spaghetti (in homemade tomato sauce from my summer garden). We both loved the piccata sauce with the cauliflower. Brilliant combination! Next time (and there will be a next time!) I think I’ll increase the sauce so there’s more to sop up. So good!
kim kautzer
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Cauliflower Piccata
- Cauliflower: Look for firm, uniformly shaped heads with bright white florets and sturdy stems. The more even the shape, the better your cauliflower steaks will turn out.
- Avocado Oil (or other high-heat oil): I like avocado oil for its mild flavor and high smoke point, which is perfect for roasting at high temperatures. Olive oil works too, though it may smoke at higher temps.
- Kosher Salt: Ideal for its flaky texture and clean taste. It’s easier to control when seasoning compared to finer salts.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Use freshly ground for the best flavor—it adds a subtle kick that you won’t get from pre-ground pepper.
- White Wine (or Vegetable Broth): White wine adds a touch of acidity and depth to the sauce, but vegetable broth works well if you prefer a non-alcoholic option.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Always squeeze fresh lemons for the brightest, cleanest flavor. It makes a huge difference in the sauce.
- Capers: These tiny, briny buds bring a sharp, tangy punch to the sauce. Rinse them well to tone down their saltiness.
- Butter: Use what you have on hand, though unsalted butter does make it easier to control the salt level. It adds richness and helps create that silky sauce.
- Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley (optional): I love using parsley as a garnish for a pop of color and a hint of freshness. Flat-leaf has a more robust flavor than curly, which is why I prefer it.
- Lemon Slices (optional): Thinly sliced lemon not only looks beautiful but adds a lovely, subtle citrus note if served alongside.
What sets this recipe apart.
The key difference that sets this vegetarian piccata apart from others like it is the way the cauliflower is prepared. Instead of being dredged in flour and pan seared, cauliflower steaks are seasoned with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and roasted on a rimmed baking sheet at high heat until they’re beautifully caramelized and finished with a tangy, buttery sauce, studded with salty, earthy capers.
Though I typically prefer tender-crisp or even crisp-tender cauliflower, roasting these cauliflower steaks until they’re almost meltingly tender and deeply caramelized makes them absolutely luscious. That said, if you want them to have more bite, reduce the temperature to 425˚F and reduce roasting time by 5 minutes or more.
Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or something a bit more special, Cauliflower Piccata is a dish I turn to when I want something satisfying without being too heavy. The combination of tender, caramelized cauliflower and the bright, lemony sauce makes it feel both comforting and a little refined. Serve it with your favorite sides or on its own—either way, it’s a recipe worth keeping in your regular rotation.
More Great Ways to Enjoy Cauliflower
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Other Must Try Piccata Recipes
How to Make Cauliflower Piccata
Cut 2 to 4 ,¾-inch thick ‘steaks’ from each head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed. (Roast remaining cauliflower florets or reserve for another use.) Place cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet in a single layer; drizzle each side with olive oil and season the top side with salt and pepper. Roast in an oven preheated to 450˚F until deeply caramelized and very tender, about 35 minutes (carefully flipping steaks after 25 minutes).
When cauliflower steaks are nearly done, make lemon butter caper sauce in a small skillet. Arrange roasted cauliflower steaks on a serving platter and drizzle evenly with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley if you like and serve.
Cauliflower Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads cauliflower outer leaves trimmed (see recipe note #1)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other high heat oil, divided
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup capers drained and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 of a standard cube)
- fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish, optional
- 1 small lemon thinly sliced for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F. (recipe note #2)
- Place head of cauliflower on a large cutting board, stem side down. With a very sharp knife, cut in half, from top to bottom. Then carefully slice off one or two 3/4-inch thick 'steaks' from the cut-side of each half, taking care to include the core. Repeat with second head of cauliflower. (You'll get 2 to 4 steaks from each cauliflower head, depending on the size of the head and width of the core.) You'll have the ends leftover – divide these into florets to roast along with the steaks or reserve for another use.
- Arrange cauliflower steaks and florets (cut side up) on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil (recipe note #3). Then carefully flip and drizzle with second tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven, undisturbed for 25 minutes, until sections of the cauliflower steak bottoms have caramelized to a deep bronze.
- After 25 minutes, carefully flip the cauliflower steaks with a thin spatula and stir florets. Return to oven for 8 to 10 minutes more, until very tender and lightly charred.
- While the cauliflower finishes roasting, make sauce: add wine, lemon juice, and capers to a skillet and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until reduced slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add butter and stir to melt; continue boiling until slightly thickened 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Transfer roasted cauliflower steaks and florets to serving platter and spoon sauce over evenly. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices if desired and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to look for firm, uniformly shaped heads of cauliflower with hearty stems for the best cauliflower steaks.
- When you roast cauliflower steaks at 450˚F for this amount of time, you’ll get luscious, very tender, deeply caramelized steaks. If you’d rather have tender-crisp, lightly caramelized cauliflower steaks, reduce the oven temperature to 425˚F and flip after 20 minutes. Then continue roasting to your desired doneness.
- For efficient oil drizzling, move the steaks and florets together on the baking sheet so there is as little space as possible. Once you’ve drizzled both sides, spread them out, so every steak and floret has some room to caramelize.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Marissa, this is such a great idea. I love that it’s hearty, but flavored lightly with the lemon, capers and wine. And it’s so pretty on the plate, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you, Valentina! I hope you’ll give it a try.
This not only sounds really tasty, but it’s such a pretty presentation.
Thanks so much, Mimi!
Marissa! I made this tonight, served with a side of spaghetti (in homemade tomato sauce from my summer garden). 😉
We both loved the piccata sauce with the cauliflower. Brilliant combination! Next time (and there will be a next time!) I think I’ll increase the sauce so there’s more to sop up. So good!
Just a note that the recipe instructions don’t mention what to do with the sauce once it’s made. I poured it over the cauliflower on the platter. Is that right, or should the cauliflower go into the pan with the sauce before plating?
Hi Kim! What a wonderful meal, made complete with your home-grown tomato sauce and spaghetti! I love to hear that you loved the sauce enough to make more next time. And, yes, you pour (or spoon) the sauce over the cauliflower once it’s plated. Thank you for catching that I’d left that detail out of the recipe! It’s there now.
I really like this concept! We eat roasted cauliflower a good bit this time of the year, but adding all of the piccata flavors would take this to a whole new level. Love it!
Thanks, David! You’ve got to give it a try!
I love piccata! This is a wonderful version with cauliflower.
Thanks so much, Angie!