Italian Roasted Whole Cauliflower

I photocopied this recipe for Italian Roasted Whole Cauliflower from a cookbook, but didn't note which one it came from. The idea of roasting a cauliflower intrigued me as did pairing the vegetable with garlic. This is an easy recipe to make. However, getting the slides of garlic into the cauliflower is challenging. Even with the garlic slices partially in the cauliflower, there's a lot of flavor.

This was a great recipe to try in the summer because our herbs are doing well in the garden. Having fresh herbs over the individual servings of the cauliflower was delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head cauliflower

1/2 cup water

 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the leaves and about one inch of the core from the cauliflower, leaving the head intact. Place the cauliflower, stem side down, in an 8"x8" pan. Add the water to the dish and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil. Brush the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Insert the garlic slices between the grooves on the cauliflower. Roast the cauliflower, uncovered, until a sharp knife easily pierces through to the core, about 30 minutes longer. 

In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, and oregano. Cut the cauliflower into wedges, sprinkle with the fresh herbs, and serve.