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This hearty Roasted Cauliflower Bolognese is the kind of cozy winter recipe we all need right now. Fresh pasta tossed with spicy cauliflower in a tomato pesto Bolognese that’s creamy and so delicious! The secret to this vegetarian Bolognese sauce? It’s seasoned-up with roasted cauliflower “meat”. The cauliflower has the best flavor, and roasting it in the oven gives it the PERFECT texture. Everyone LOVES a GOOD tomato Bolognese sauce, it’s delicious and it looks pretty on any table. Fancy enough for the weekend, but easy enough to make any night of the week. And most importantly, so delicious!
It’s pasta Bolognese…just minus the meat and plus a whole lot of delicious seasoned-up roasted cauliflower. Not traditional, but SO GOOD.
My brothers are 100% rolling their eyes at this pasta. They love a Bolognese sauce, but a Bolognese sauce minus the meat. Man, the look on their faces. So much disappointment…
They don’t know what they’re missing out on. Every last twirl of this vegetarian pasta Bolognese is delicious. My secret is to roast the cauliflower. Oven roasting the cauliflower gives it so much flavor, plus that perfect crisp, yet tender texture. It’s so delicious.
Honestly, this one came to be in an interesting way. I set out to make a white sauce pasta and by the end of the day, I had this. My hang up on the white sauce pasta was simple. With Valentines Day on Sunday I was getting hung up on the fact that white pasta just didn’t feel right for v-day. Sure it still would have been delicious, but something red felt like the better route.
So, I went back and forth on ideas. I started to make another pasta and then about five minutes in, I changed course again and started in on this. The idea kind of just flew into my head. I wanted to make a hearty Bolognese sauce, but I had zero meat on hand. I also really, really wanted to use up the heads of cauliflower I had in my fridge.
So, I put the two ambitions together and came up with this. A perfect, hearty vegetarian cauliflower pasta Bolognese. I don’t understand how my brain works, but I’m pretty excited it thought this one up.
Start with the cauliflower…which is the heart of this recipe.
I wanted the cauliflower to have just the right texture. Often times when cauliflower is stirred into a sauce I find that it tends to be soggy and flavorless. So I really wanted to avoid that. The key? Oven roasting the cauliflower with lots of garlic and spices. By the time it comes out of the oven, it’s extra crispy with just the right amount of char and so much flavor.
It holds up perfectly in this sauce creating a “meaty” texture and even better flavor. My secret ingredient? A splash of fish sauce, which is optional, but it adds an umami, meaty flavor.
While the cauliflower is roasting, start in on the tomato sauce. You want to slowly caramelize the garlic in olive oil to really infuse flavor into a recipe, especially within an Italian-style red sauce. Once the garlic is extra fragrant and turns golden, I like to stir in the tomato paste and chili flakes. Then cook those for a bit to help intensify the flavors in the sauce.
Once that’s cooked for a bit, stir in the basil pesto. Then let the sauce simmer while you boil the pasta.
For the pasta, I used a fresh cut tagliatelle pasta. But use any cut of pasta you love or have on hand. You’ll want to first boil off the pasta, then just before draining, reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This step is so important, so be sure to not dump the water before reserving a cup. The pasta water is used to finish the sauce
Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce and that pasta water. Add the cauliflower and some butter and toss until the sauce is very creamy. Stir in the parmesan and basil. Immediately the heat from the pasta intensifies the smell of the basil…leaving you with nothing but excitement for dinner and a kitchen that smells amazing.
And trust me, you should be excited. Every bowl of this pasta is rich, creamy, just oh so slightly spicy, with a subtle pesto touch, and just the right amount of butter and cheese.
It’s is so very good. Like roll your eyes back, go for that second bowl, and finish the pasta all in one sitting GOOD…yum!
Perfect dinner to serve this Sunday for Valentine’s Day…whether you’re celebrating or not. It’s a little different, but so, so good.
The cauliflower is a game-changer. The flavor is intense, but the texture and seasoning are spot-on. It adds a saltiness that keeps everyone coming back for another bowl. Just add a little side salad, and maybe even some bread, and you’ll have a perfectly delicious meal.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day dinners? Here are a few to try:
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini
Roasted Red Pepper Alla Vodka Pasta with Cheesy Oregano Breadcrumbs
Brown Butter Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Cauliflower Bolognese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I wish i made more cauliflower, deff was way better than expected.
Hey Bianka,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Yum!! Can’t believe how good this is! Hubby loved it! Excellent recipe!
Hey there,
That is so awesome this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. Would definitely recommend it. The only thing I would add is I would substitute i/3 cup of wine for the 1/3 cup of water. Tieghan, you are amazing. I’ve made so many of your recipes and they are ALL delicious. Thank you!!
Hey Margaret,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Just made this tonight, it was delicious! A beautiful concentrated tomato and pesto sauce, and the cauliflower with oregano and fennel seeds was a major win! I can’t stand anything smoked so subbed the smoked paprika for cayenne, and it was beautiful and subtly spicy. My other half in particular loved it! Will be making this on repeat, thanks x
Hey Maeve,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is one of my favorite recipes you’ve done and in general! The sauce is so flavorful and the cauliflower goes great in this dish! I added ground turkey to it and it was a great addition. Just needed a little more pasta water to thin the sauce out but it worked great. Thank you! Will definitely be making this many times over!
Hey Lauren,
I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed.? xTieghan
Fantastic dish would really recommend as a substitute for meat whether you’re veggie or trying to cut down. We debated if it’s actually even more delicious than a beef bolognaise!
Hey Steph,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
This recipe is absolutely delicious. So much flavor and so filling! Will definitely be making again.
Hey Rachael,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend☀️ xTieghan
Delicious meal and made 3 times now but without the butter…… Makes great left overs for a lighter lunch
Hey Vivienne,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan
Looks amazing! In step two, you write: “When the oil shimmers, add the shallot, Fresno, and garlic.” By “Fresno” did you mean “Pesto”?
Hey Sarah,
Sorry for the confusion, I mean Fresno pepper:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this and made some changes since so didn’t have a shallot—->onion and my store didn’t have a Fresno pepper so I went Aniheim and finally sausage ravioli Instead of noodles.
Hey Chanel,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Is there a way to make this without the Pesto? What could i sub it with?
Also, your recipes are amazing! Have never failed once ?
Hey Sara,
You could skip the pesto and use extra tomato paste or sauce. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
So good.
Thanks so much Dyanna! xTieghan
Delish and so hearty with added red lentils. They blend into the sauce and give some extra protein and texture. Love the vegetarian recipes! Pls keep em coming 🙂
Hey Katie,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This was incredible! So easy and the flavour was ridiculously good.
Hey Ash,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan
Made this for my family tonight.. Swapped the fennel seed for a little bit of garlic powder. It was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Lauren,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan