oven fried italian cauliflower parmesan nuggets
A tasty snack or appetizer featuring our favorite meatless substitute coated in marinara sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese, baked to crisp and melty perfection. Ciao!
Ingredients
- 4 cups large cauliflower florets
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- pinch each kosher salt and pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store bought, plus more to serve
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, roughly torn
- 3/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment, or two smaller ones.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork until lightly beaten. In a second bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, paprika, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
- Toss the cauliflower florets in the eggs until thoroughly coated. Then, working 2-3 florets at a time, coat all sides in the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Set on the prepared baking sheets with a bit of space in between each. Repeat the breadcrumb dredge with all remaining cauliflower.
- Spray or drizzle the coated florets with oil. Bake 20 minutes, turning the nuggets halfway through. Remove the pans from the oven and set all the nuggets onto one sheet, if you needed to use two. Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the cauliflower. Sprinkle on the parmesan, then place the mozzarella overtop. Bake 10 minutes longer until the cheese melts and starts to turn golden.
- Serve the cauliflower nuggets with chopped fresh basil and additional marinara, as desired.
Notes
*To store: Leftovers do not keep very well, so I recommend you eat them hot and fresh out of the oven.
*Marinara sauce: Use a homemade recipe if you'd like! I recommend Whole Foods brand or Rao's.