Cauliflower Wedges with Lemon-Parsley Pan Sauce
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on October 5, 2025
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided½ teaspoon pepper 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling4 garlic cloves, sliced thin¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Before You Begin
Meaty slabs of cauliflower paired with cannellini beans and a lively pan sauce add up to a hearty vegetarian main. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup vegetable broth, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour together in liquid measuring cup; set aside. Trim outer leaves of 1 head cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom. Cut head into 6 equal wedges so that core and florets remain intact. Sprinkle cauliflower all over with 1 teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Heat 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Arrange cauliflower in skillet cut side down and cook until well browned on both cut sides, 3 to 6 minutes per side, using 2 thin spatulas to gently flip wedges. Transfer cauliflower to plate.
- Off heat, stir 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes into fat remaining in skillet and cook in residual heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
- Return cauliflower to skillet. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and gently simmer until paring knife inserted into cauliflower cores meets little resistance, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to serving platter, leaving sauce in skillet.
- Stir 1 rinsed (15-ounce) can cannellini beans and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until sauce is thickened and beans are warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 3 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cauliflower with bean mixture, drizzling with extra oil.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Why This Recipe Works
Meaty slabs of cauliflower paired with cannellini beans and a lively pan sauce add up to a hearty vegetarian main. We began by cutting the cauliflower into six large wedges and browning them in a skillet, which caramelized the vegetable’s abundance of sugar and created a flavorful fond for a pan sauce. To balance the fond’s sweetness, we deglazed the pan with vegetable broth and lots of lemon juice, adding a small amount of flour for body. We finished cooking the cauliflower in the sauce, then added a can of cannellini beans. A full tablespoon of lemon zest stirred into the sauce at the end along with plenty of chopped parsley ensured that it tasted bright and complex.
Before You Begin
Meaty slabs of cauliflower paired with cannellini beans and a lively pan sauce add up to a hearty vegetarian main. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup vegetable broth, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour together in liquid measuring cup; set aside. Trim outer leaves of 1 head cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom. Cut head into 6 equal wedges so that core and florets remain intact. Sprinkle cauliflower all over with 1 teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Heat 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Arrange cauliflower in skillet cut side down and cook until well browned on both cut sides, 3 to 6 minutes per side, using 2 thin spatulas to gently flip wedges. Transfer cauliflower to plate.
- Off heat, stir 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes into fat remaining in skillet and cook in residual heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
- Return cauliflower to skillet. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and gently simmer until paring knife inserted into cauliflower cores meets little resistance, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to serving platter, leaving sauce in skillet.
- Stir 1 rinsed (15-ounce) can cannellini beans and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until sauce is thickened and beans are warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 3 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cauliflower with bean mixture, drizzling with extra oil.
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