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Roasted Romanesco with Za’atar Yogurt Sauce

February 26, 2015 By Becky 6 Comments

Roasted Romanesco with Za'atar Yogurt Sauce | acalculatedwhisk.com
Strange coincidence: last year, on January 25th, 2014, I wrote about romanesco in a post entitled 7 Uncommon Vegetables for your Produce Bucket List. I had never seen romanesco in a store. I kept my eyes peeled for it all year, but could never find any. That is, until last Wednesday, when I finally spotted some at my local Whole Foods . . . on January 25th, 2015. Weird, right?
Coming across this gorgeous vegetable exactly one year after posting about it has me wondering if it might be magic. I mean, look at those spirals! According to Wikipedia, the number of spirals on a head of Romanesco is a Fibonacci number, and its form approximates a fractal. How is it possible that something like this exists?
Roasted Romanesco with Za'atar Yogurt Sauce | acalculatedwhisk.com
In addition to its special properties, romanesco is delicious. I roasted it whole because I couldn’t bear to slice it up any sooner than I had to. Its flavor is similar to cauliflower and broccoli, but a little milder and nuttier. And, just like with cauliflower or broccoli, the browned bits are extra delicious. If you can’t find romanesco, you could definitely use one of its brassica cousins for this recipe instead.

Roasted Romanesco with Za'atar Yogurt Sauce | acalculatedwhisk.com
I made a quick cashew yogurt sauce to dip the fractal florets into. If you haven’t tried it, you’ll be surprised at how cashews can approximate the flavor and texture of yogurt or even sour cream. All they need is a quick soak in some cool water and a quick whir in the blender. I added za’atar to the sauce to make it pop, but you could use any spice blend you love. (If you’re new to za’atar, it’s a mix of thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac. You can buy za’atar
or make your own.) And, if you do include dairy in your diet, you could use actual yogurt or even creme fraiche for the sauce instead of cashews.
Roasted Romanesco with Za'atar Yogurt Sauce | acalculatedwhisk.com
This whole roasted romanesco makes a show-stopping appetizer or side dish, and is also perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. I hope you can get your hands on some and give it a try!
(If you can’t find any, just write a blog post about it and wait exactly one year. You’ll probably get lucky like I did.)

Roasted Romanesco with Za’atar Yogurt Sauce
Yield: 4-6 side dish servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the roasted romanesco:

1 head romanesco (or cauliflower)
2 tablespoons melted butter, ghee, or olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the za’atar yogurt sauce:

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in cool water to cover for at least 1 hour
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons za’atar

Preheat the oven to 425. Trim the bottom of the romanesco so that it sits flat, leaving about half an inch of stem. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece out of the center of the stem.

Brush the butter, ghee, or oil on all sides of the romanesco, getting into the nooks and crannies. Place the romanesco cut side down in a cast iron skillet or small roasting pan. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, until nicely browned and tender. Slice into wedges and serve with the sauce.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup of water to facilitate blending. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Roasted Romanesco with Za'atar Yogurt Sauce | acalculatedwhisk.com

This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission (the price you pay is not affected).  Thank you so much for supporting my blog!

Filed Under: appetizer, gluten free, paleo, recipe, sides, uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: broccoli, cashews, cauliflower, five ingredients or less, grain free, romanesco, vegetables, whole30, yogurt, za'atar

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Comments

  1. paula says

    June 11, 2019 at 9:11 am

    How much yogurt, and what kind, for the yogurt sauce?

    Reply
    • Becky says

      June 11, 2019 at 10:06 am

      It’s made with cashews! The amounts are in the recipe.

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    This is my favorite cabbage because it reminds me of a Christmas tree! Plus I za'atar is so-so good!
    PS really love your blog name, so clever! 😀

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      March 10, 2015 at 1:17 am

      I never thought of that, but it DOES look like a Christmas tree! And thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Aaron | The Hungry Hutch says

    March 5, 2015 at 3:14 am

    Romanesco is such a beautiful vegetable! I don't think I've ever seen it at the grocery store before either. Now I'll be on the lookout!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      March 5, 2015 at 3:20 am

      You know, I had pretty much given up on ever finding it…and then suddenly, there it was! A friend of mine has gotten some in her CSA box, too.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Becky!

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