WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Pot-roasted cauliflower has taken the internet by storm. As a hearty side or light vegetarian main, cauliflower braised in an aromatic tomato sauce is making its way into blogs, magazines, and restaurant menus alike. The recipes we came across all started by searing the cumbersome cauliflower first in hopes of browning the exterior. But we found this task unwieldy, with the cauliflower slipping from our tongs and the hot oil spitting at our forearms. After all was said and done, browning was spotty at best. And, once it was coated in a piquant sauce of chunky tomatoes, golden raisins, and salty capers and olives, we couldn’t taste or see the difference between browned and unbrowned cauliflower. So we skipped the hassle. To ensure all of the rich flavors penetrated the dense vegetable, we started by cooking it upside down and spooned some of the sauce into the crevices between the stalk and florets. Then we flipped it right side up, spooned more sauce over the top, and left the pot uncovered to finish cooking. The sauce thickened but remained plentiful and the flavors intensified as the cauliflower became fork-tender.

Serves 4 to 6

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses.
3. Cook oil, anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes and salt, bring to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom florets.
6. Stir raisins, olives, and capers into tomatoes in pot, then nestle cauliflower, stem side up, into sauce.
7. Spoon some of sauce over top, cover, transfer pot to oven, and roast until cauliflower is just tender (paring knife slips in and out of core with some resistance), 30 to 35 minutes.
8. Uncover pot and using tongs, flip cauliflower stem side down.
9. Spoon some of sauce over cauliflower, then scrape down sides of pot.
10. Continue to roast, uncovered, until cauliflower is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove pot from oven.
12. Sprinkle cauliflower with Parmesan and parsley and drizzle with extra oil.
13. Cut cauliflower into wedges and serve, spooning sauce over individual portions.