Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmigiana

My Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmigiana is an easy, delicious twist on the classic cheesy chicken dish. Made with cauliflower steaks, Ragu Pasta Sauce, and fresh mozzarella, this is a simple and healthy meal that's positively packed with veggies. Many thanks to Ragu for sponsoring today's #SimmeredInTradition post.

I have so many lovely childhood memories of working in the kitchen with my mom—a wonderful tradition of family time and wholesome ingredients. I whisked homemade salad dressing, peeled apples for pie, snapped the ends off string beans. And, perhaps my favorite: making chicken parmigiana. I loved the whole ritual of it, the assembly line of chicken breasts, beaten eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, sauce. So much deliciousness in one dish! And that dish inspired me to create this amazing Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmigiana.

After all, one thing that's fantastic about family traditions is the change that happens over generations, those personal touches. My Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmigiana provides all the yumminess of the classic breaded chicken cutlet dish, but with fewer calories and more veggie goodness (yes, the Roasted Garlic Ragu tomato sauce also counts toward your daily vegetable intake). It's the Full Belly Sisters' approach to tradition!  


One woman who certainly put her own personal spin on a family recipe was Assunta Cantasano, who came to America from Naples, Italy. In order to support her family during The Great Depression, she bottled and sold her homemade pasta sauce, made from the highest-quality ingredients and simmered in tradition. Assunta's sauce is now famous under the Ragu name. And that homemade quality has continued through the generations. Ragu has no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup—yet it's affordable, easily found in your supermarket, and totally delicious. 




So, grab some Ragu sauce and start your own family tradition with my hearty, healthy Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmigiana! Or create your own dish for a chance to win up to $3,000 (more on that below).

Ingredients 
serves 2 to 4
  • large head of cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Ragu Roasted Garlic Sauce (or pick one of their other delicious varieties)
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into eight slices 
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • couple pinches of salt and freshly-ground pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
  • cooked pasta, tossed with additional Ragu Sauce (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Remove the tough outer leaves of the cauliflower and discard. Leave the core intact but trim the stem so that the cauliflower can stand on it without wobbling. Using a sharp, large knife, cut the cauliflower down the center, dividing the cauliflower in half. Then carefully cut 3/4-inch-thick slices (so you'll have two "steaks" from each half). Arrange on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Reserve extra florets for cauliflower rice, cauliflower popcorn, or buffalo cauliflower bites. (Can you tell I love cauliflower?)



Brush the tops of the slices with the olive oil mixture. 


Roast for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn over (I used a spatula and large spoon to support the steaks as I flipped them). Brush with more of the olive oil mixture and roast for an additional 15 minutes or so. The steaks should be golden and caramelized.


Top each cauliflower steak with three to four tablespoons of sauce and two slices of mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for five to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Then turn on the broiler to allow the cheese to brown slightly, about two to five minutes. Keep an eye on it so the mozzarella doesn't burn!


S
erve with your favorite pasta, cooked and tossed with the rest of the Roasted Garlic Ragu Sauce.





Or just enjoy the cauliflower steaks on their own for a low-carb, grain-free meal!




Ooh, and make sure you check out this awesome contest on Food.com: Ready. Set. Cook! It challenges home cooks to create new and unique recipes featuring Ragu sauce, plus a set list of other ingredients. I know you have some great ideas simmering in your brains, so enter now for your chance to win!

Grand Prize: $3,000
Runner-up: $1,250        
People’s Choice: $750


What will YOU make with Assunta's Ragu sauces?

Comments

  1. Well, this looks like a different way to serve cauliflower. I would probably make spaghetti with Assunta's Ragu sauces.

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  2. This sounds like a delicious use of caluliflower

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  3. We love cauliflower in our house! And I totally let tomato sauce count as a vegetable on the days that I'm too tired to do anything else but boil pasta... :)

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  4. Justine....cauliflower steaks sound out of this world! What a healthy and ingenious replace for beef steaks! :)

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  5. i never thought of doing this with cauliflower. looks good

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  6. This looks awesome! I love cauliflower steaks, and have made them several times, but never like this! I love that you put Ragu on it! And it just looks so delicious! Yum!

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  7. Looks yummy. I love cauliflower patties and I've got to try this.

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  8. I always have my pantry stocked with Ragu! This dish looks divine!

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  9. I love cauliflower steaks. This is a fantastic way to use them. YUM!

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  10. Love the idea of using the cauliflower. A steak without all the heaviness.

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    1. yup, much lighter than a breaded chicken cutlet!

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  11. This sounds so delicious! What a great meal idea :)

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  12. I'm so going to make this! My kids LOVE cauliflower and this is guaranteed to be a hit. Great idea - thanks for sharing!!

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  13. Love roasted cauliflower! And the Ragu addition is just perfect. What a cozy meal!

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  14. Roasted Cauliflower Steaks? I must admit, this sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. This is very interesting. I have never had cooked cauliflower. I always eat it each month but raw. I have to try this!!

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  16. Loving your take on tradition! This looks so delicious! Love it!

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  17. This sounds and looks amazing and thank you for sharing this delicious meal idea with us.

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  18. This actually looks good, just might try it!!

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  19. These were a big hit with my seven year old! Thank you!!

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  20. This looks absolutely DIVINE! Seriously! A vegetarian meal that I would be more than happy to dig into!

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  21. I like the idea of cauliflower steaks made like this! It looks really delicious! I'll definitely try it!

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  22. I love roasted veggies anyway, but WOW I would have never thought to try this!!! Just added cauliflower to my grocery list for tomorrow! What a great looking dish, Genius!!

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  23. This looks & sounds delicious. I pinned this to make it later.

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  24. This is an AMAZING idea!!!! I can't wait to try this recipe out!

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  25. I love this idea! My kids would eat more veges this way :)

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  26. Terrific, I'm going to try the cauliflower steaks, I think everyone will love them.

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  27. Love this idea! I love Ragu sauces and I can't wait to give this yummy recipe a try!

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  28. This recipe looks amazing! I love that the cauliflower is stuck between and steak and cheese. Great way to hide a veggie for my picky eater.

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  29. this looks delicious, and a great way to hide them veggies

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  30. This looks so delicious! I have always wanted to try cauliflower cooked this way. Thanks so much!

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  31. This is such a great idea! I've made cauliflower steaks but never thought to turn them into parmigiana. Love the healthy makeover! :)

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  32. This looks amazing and easy to make I have never eaten it but I am going to try it

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    1. Please come back and let us know how you liked it!

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  33. This looks amazing and easy to make I have never eaten it but I am going to try it

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  34. Oh, wow, this looks so delicious! I just have to try to make it.

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  35. I am very intrigued by these new (to me) cauliflower recipes. I seen one the other day where you mash them like potatoes and eat those in place of potatoes. This recipe for the steaks looks pretty good. I think I'll pin this to try. I be my Husband will like it too.

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  36. I love the play with the cauliflower. Still hearty but not heavy.

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  37. I am loving this idea! I love cauliflower and don't buy it often enough. This would be a great dish to make with it!

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  38. Wow, delicious idea, I need more vegan recipes in my ideas folder.

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  39. What a super creative meal!! Looks fantastic!

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