To put it plainly, this is my favorite way to eat cauliflower on the planet. No lie, with this Cauliflower a Diavola recipe, I’ve been known to eat a whole head of cauliflower in one sitting. And believe me I am not proud of that. But in a way, isn’t it a flex to eat your veggies?
I’ve named this recipe “a Diavola,” which in Italian means “of the Devil.” And while typically in Italian food that means the food is spicy, in this recipe it just means the cauliflower is sinful. Because even without using rich ingredients, it tastes rich. Of course, there are peppers included, but they are more there for balance than heat. This recipe will please anyone, no matter their spice tolerance. The name is just so you aren’t surprised when you see the bright red color the cauliflower turns into!
Ingredients you will need for Cauliflower a Diavola
If a vegetable side dish is simple, then sign me up. What I love about this recipe is how delicious it is, but with just simple ingredients. Here is all you need:
- 1 head cauliflower, 32 ounces
- 5 small Calabrian chilies, or 2 tablespoons jarred chopped Calabrian chilies
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Italian basil, for topping
How to best prepare this cauliflower recipe
This cauliflower recipe is all about TIMING.
You have to cook down your cauliflower in the pan, and that takes time! Think 10-12 minutes, kind of time. But it’s worth it. You want your cauliflower browning before you add the aromatics. If you start adding them before the cauliflower gets brown, then their moisture will prevent the cauliflower from further browning, and you’ll kind of be stuck.
But after you’ve reached the cauliflower browning point (yay!), you can add the chilies, the garlic, cook for a few minutes and add the tomato paste. The tomato paste will need more time to cook down, about 4-5 minutes. Then add splashes of water to help it cling to the cauliflower and watch it cook down into a sticky, unctuous side dish. And in twenty minutes, you’re done!
Will this work with other vegetables?
Usually I say “any vegetable will do!” but I’ve tried this recipe with a few other vegetables, and it just wasn’t as good? So for this, I’d say start with cauliflower if you can find it, but then keep it to the brassicas: like broccoli, broccolini, romanesco, etc.
Their crevices help gather the sauce, and the are sturdy enough to hold up while the tomato past cooks down.
What is the best way to store Cauliflower a Diavola?
What I like about this recipe is that it gets BETTER as it stores. You heard me! I don’t know what it is, but the flavors begin to blend and sit with each other. And eating this cold out of tupperware? DELICIOUS. Don’t knock it until you try it!
The best way to store this cauliflower side dish is in an airtight container (such as tupperware) and it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge!
What do you eat this with?
This recipe is what I call “the perfect vegetable side dish.” It goes well with any dinner-style protein and carb you can think of! In this instance, and in the blog post above, you can see I served it alongside a simple salt-and-pepper seared swordfish. However if you eat meat, this would also pair well with any steak, chicken or fish you have in mind. In a pinch (and if you really don’t feel like cooking) a rotisserie chicken and some kind of grain would be great friends with this vegetable dish.
If you are plant-based, this would work well with a fried tofu and a bowl of rice. It would even go well over brothy beans, which PS, is the first way I ate this recipe!
Cauliflower a Diavola
I named this after the Italian term: “a Diavola,” which means, “of the devil.” I chose that name not because of the recipe’s heat, but because of how rich and “sinful” this tomatoey, charred cauliflower can be. It feels unfairly delicious for how simple it is, but isn’t that how all vegetable side dishes should be?
Equipment
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1 chef’s knife
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1 rasp-style grater
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1 large sauté pan
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower 32 ounces
- 5 small Calabrian chilies or 2 tablespoons jarred chopped Calabrian chilies
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Italian basil for topping
Instructions
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Remove the core from the cauliflower and cut the head into small florets, each about the size of a cherry. Set aside.
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Chop up the 5 Calabrian chilies into nearly a paste. Grate the 4 garlic cloves on a rasp-style grater. Set both aside.
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Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Let this heat up for 1-2 minutes.
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Add the cauliflower to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the cauliflower begins to darken and char.
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Add the garlic and chilies to the cauliflower. Mix everything together well and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
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Add the tomato paste directly to the pan. Roughly mix it into the cauliflower, letting it cook and darken a shade in color, 4-5 minutes. Continue to cook, adding up to 1/2 cup of water in splashes. Add a splash of water every few minutes or so, this will help the tomato paste cling to the cauliflower.
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Season with a generous pinch or two of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix, taste and add more as preferred.
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When the cauliflower begins to deeply darken and the tomato paste starts to caramelize at the edges of the florets, then the cauliflower is ready to serve. Top with a few leaves of Italian basil, and serve alongside any protein and carb you love.
