Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I’ve been cooking up a bunch of sides, including this Cauliflower with Anchovy Breadcrumbs, to share with you until my favorite holiday!
This recipe from Cooking Light adds a toasted breadcrumb mixture over cooked cauliflower florets to make a really simple but tasty side dish! I changed the recipe up a bit, using sourdough bread because that’s what I had in my apartment. I also tossed the cauliflower in some olive oil and a touch of salt before adding the breadcrumbs to add some more flavor to the dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
- 2 ounces torn sourdough bread pieces
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and drained
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, to taste
Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for 6 minutes. (If you’re like me and you added waaaaay too much water to the pan, just place a wooden spoon across the top of the saucepan to keep it from overflowing. Not sure why this works, but it does!)
While waiting for the cauliflower to cook, add the bread pieces, sage, black pepper, salt, anchovy fillets, and garlic cloves to a food processor.
Process until chopped to your liking (I like mine a bit chunky but feel free to chop until more fine.)
Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
Add the crumb mixture to the pan and toast for 4 minutes.
When finished cooking,drain the cauliflower in a colander and add to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss to combine.
Top the cauliflower with the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh sage if desired.
The toasted breadcrumbs made my apartment smell heavenly! Anchovies are one of those foods that people think they don’t like but they probably do — they add a ton of flavor to a dish! I personally don’t want to snack on anchovies right out of the can, but hey, if you’re into that, there should be plenty leftover in the can after this recipe! 🙂
If anchovies aren’t your thing, Cooking Light has a bunch of other suggestions for yummy cauliflower: with Sesame Toasted Cashews, a Garlic-Thyme Vinaigrette, or in a Coconut Curry Sauce. For those version, visit the recipe here.
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
- 2 ounces torn sourdough bread pieces
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and drained
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, to taste
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for 6 minutes.
- While waiting for the cauliflower to cook, add the bread pieces, sage, black pepper, salt, anchovy fillets, and garlic cloves to a food processor.
- Process until chopped to your liking.
- Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the crumb mixture to the pan and toast for 4 minutes.
- When finished cooking,drain the cauliflower in a colander and add to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss to combine.
- Top the cauliflower with the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh sage if desired.
