Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan
Suppose you are looking for a way to jazz up your weekly dinners with an Italian dish, but you’re sick of the same old pasta dishes. Why not try a vegan cauliflower Parmesan steak with spaghetti pasta and Italian-inspired marinara sauce? This recipe is a vegan twist on the well-known Italian-inspired dish chicken Parmesan but far more delicious and nutritious!
This vegan Parmesan roasted cauliflower is not only a tasty way to sneak in some extra veggies into your diet, but it is also easy to prepare, and you can make it in just 35 minutes! Even kids love this meal for the melted cheese element, and they will never know your breadcrumbed veggies if they don’t see you preparing in cauliflower beforehand!
Why You Need to Try This Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan Recipe
- Texture. I am so obsessed with this roasted Parmesan cauliflower recipe because of the crispy coating on the cauliflower. This adds a gorgeous crunch to the pasta dish, but it also pairs beautifully with the creamy cheese.
- Flavor. This dish is the ultimate rustic, homemade comfort food that is delicious, creamy, and packed with flavor from Italian seasonings.
- Vegan-friendly. Of course, this recipe is a great vegan and vegetarian alternative to chicken Parmesan. Swap this recipe into your weekly meal plan for a meat-free Monday or as the perfect addition to add a new recipe to your repertoire if you are already vegan. You could even make this recipe suitable for all major dietary requirements by using gluten-free pasta, breadcrumbs, and plain flour.
Why is it called Parmigiana when it’s made with Mozzarella?!
So you may have read the ingredients list and wondered why Parmesan is missing! Well, technically, the original name of this dish would be ‘Parmigiana’ which is made with mozzarella cheese.
This confusing name or ingredients list is due to the geographical origins of the dish in Italy. For example, parmigiana, or Parmesan cheese, was born in northern Italy in a city known as ‘Parma.’ However, the original dish ‘melanzane alla Parmigiana’ was a recipe that originated in southern Italy!
There is some debate over where this dish got its name. Some people argue the name came from the Italian word ‘damigiana,’ which refers to the tool used to prepare the dish. In contrast, other people note that it may come from the word ‘palmigiana,’ a type of roof in Italy that uses layers of slats. This layered appearance resembles the layering of the eggplant, which was used in the original recipes for Parmigiana.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Parmesan Steaks
These vegan cauliflower steaks are crispy, nutty, herby, and creamy, and they never fail to go down a treat. You can enjoy these Parmesan cauliflower steaks similar to how you would enjoy chicken Parmesan with a selection of tasty Italian-inspired side dishes.
Need some inspiration? Here are my top recommendations on how to serve this roasted Parmesan cauliflower:
- Spaghetti and marinara sauce – as suggested in this recipe! Or add this cauliflower to a vegan cauliflower Parmesan pasta bake.
- Vegan chicken Caesar salad
- Baked broccoli
- Maple-roasted Brussels sprouts
- Garlic bread – Make your own or grab an accidentally vegan pre-made garlic bread in the grocery stores.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 16oz spaghetti of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
METHOD
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Cut Cauliflower in 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick steaks. Cut the center of the Cauliflower and save the small pieces for a snack. Or air fry them also.
- Next, set up two bowls: in one bowl, whisk the plant milk and flour together, and in the other bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, and oregano.
- Carefully dip the cauliflower steaks one at a time into the plant milk mixture, then into the panko breadcrumbs, and place it on a plate.
- Spray cooking spray on the air fryer’s bottom and place the cauliflower steaks into the air fryer’s basket. Then spray the top of the Cauliflower with olive oil spray. Then air fry for 8 minutes at 400F.
- Flip the cauliflower over and spray the top with cooking spray. Air fry for 5-8 more minutes.
- Top each cauliflower steak with vegan mozzarella cheese, and air fry at 400F for 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the cauliflower from the air fryer. Serve over cooked pasta topped with marinara sauce and fresh basil.
Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 16 oz spaghetti of choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Cut Cauliflower in 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick steaks. Cut the center of the Cauliflower and save the small pieces for a snack. Or air fry them also.
- Next, set up two bowls: in one bowl, whisk the plant milk and flour together and in the other bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, and oregano.
- Carefully dip the cauliflower steaks one at a time into the plant milk mixture, then into the panko breadcrumbs, and place it into a plate.
- Spray cooking spray on the air fryer bottom and place the cauliflower steaks into the air fryer basket. Then spray the top of the Cauliflower with olive oil spray. Then air fry for 8 minutes at 400F.
- Flip cauliflower over and spray the top with cooking spray. Air fry for 5-8 more minutes.
- Top each cauliflower steak with vegan mozzarella cheese, and air fry at 400F for 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Once the cheese has melted remove the cauliflower from the air fryer. Serve over cooked pasta topped with marinara sauce and fresh basil.
