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Cauliflower Italiano

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Submitted by pkallen825

Cauliflower Italiano is a fast skillet side with florets steam-braised in Italian dressing, onion, garlic, green pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Ready in 30 minutes, five-ingredient weeknight easy.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

15 min

READY

30 min

Sometimes the simplest moves win. This Italiano treatment takes plain white cauliflower and turns it into something worthy of a trattoria side dish with nothing more than a bottle of Italian dressing, a few aromatics, and about 15 minutes of stove time. The dressing does double duty here, standing in for both oil and a pre-built blend of vinegar, herbs, and garlic that seasons the florets as they cook.

The method is a covered skillet braise, not a sauté. A splash of water goes in with the florets so they steam as they cook, softening evenly without any brown crusty edges. Green bell pepper and cherry tomatoes join late so they keep some crunch and don’t blow out into mush. By the time the cauliflower is fork-tender, the liquid has reduced to a glossy pan sauce.

Kitchen Tips

  • Use a zesty Italian dressing, not creamy. Creamy versions break when heated and make a greasy mess.
  • Cut florets to roughly even size. Oversized pieces stay crunchy in the middle while smaller bits go soft.
  • Don’t lift the lid early. Covered steam is what gets the cauliflower tender in only 10 minutes.
  • Halve the cherry tomatoes before adding if you want them to release more juice into the sauce.

Variations

  • Toss in a handful of pitted black olives and capers in the last few minutes for a Puttanesca-style twist.
  • Shower the finished dish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil for deeper flavor.
  • Swap in broccoli florets if you’re out of cauliflower, adjusting cook time down slightly.

Ingredients

1 15
TABLESPOON ML ONIONS
chopped
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML GREEN BELL PEPPER
1 1
CLOVES EACH GARLIC
crushed
1 237
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML SALAD DRESSING, ITALIAN
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
3 710

Directions

In an 8 inch skillet, cook onion and garlic in salad dressing until tender;add cauliflowerets and ¼ cup water.

Cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes.

Add green pepper; cook until cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 91g (3.2 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 34 38% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 291mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 50%
Calcium 2% Iron 2%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Low Carb
 
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