Say that three times fast.
What happens when you roast cauliflower in bacon grease?
Pure bliss. Seriously.
Long before I embraced vegetables wholeheartedly, cauliflower was one of the first I learned to enjoy regularly. It’s funny because many people dislike it—its smell and plain appearance don’t help—but roast it and the difference is wild.
Someone at the gym once told me roasted cauliflower tastes like popcorn. It’s not far from the truth: roasting brings out a toasty, almost popcorn-like note, and if you use coconut oil the flavor can edge even closer to that memory.
Later I saw Giada coat florets lightly and fry them in a thin batter. Eddie and I were newly together and I used to make fried broccoli and cauliflower constantly—battered, fried, and tossed atop salads or piled on a plate. It was incredible, but we couldn’t keep up that level of fried vegetables every night, so we scaled back to occasional indulgences.
Over time I learned I felt better when I actually ate vegetables regularly. I got into kale, Brussels sprouts and broccoli and cauliflower fell out of rotation—partly because I can’t eat it raw. But roasted cauliflower remained my go-to. When people started making cauliflower “steaks,” I rolled my eyes at the name, but the method still relies on the one thing I love most about the vegetable: caramelized, charred edges.
I once posted a classic crispy cauliflower with hot Parmesan dip made with Greek yogurt—still one of my favorite dips. But for me cauliflower truly sings when it’s roasted until deeply caramelized and slightly charred.
So why not roast it in bacon grease? If you have rendered bacon fat, use it. It amplifies the flavor in a way that’s ridiculous and delicious. Pair that charred cauliflower with pasta and a silky sauce and you’ve got something irresistible.
I craved spaghetti carbonara during pregnancy but hesitated over raw eggs, even pasteurized ones. Still, carbonara is one of the simplest comfort pastas: cook the pasta, fry the bacon, toss together and you have something sublime. This version requires roasting the cauliflower first, so it takes a bit longer, but the payoff is worth it. The roasted cauliflower adds a sweet, smoky depth that elevates the whole dish and brings a real vegetable into the skillet—not just parsley as garnish.
It’s the kind of meal that turns an ordinary Monday into something divine.
Charred Cauliflower Carbonara
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Ingredients
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped (or 2, if you really love it)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 pound bucatini
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt + pepper for taste, if needed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the chopped cauliflower on a baking sheet.
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until very crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, turn off the heat, and leave the bacon fat in the pan. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Season with black pepper. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the cauliflower is charred and golden. While the cauliflower roasts, boil the water and cook the bucatini.
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Whisk together the eggs and grated Parmesan until smooth.
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Return the skillet with the bacon fat to low heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly, about a minute. Add the cooked bucatini and toss to coat in the fat. Remove the skillet from the heat, then pour in the egg and Parmesan mixture. Stir quickly and continuously to form a creamy sauce, tossing for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked bacon and roasted cauliflower, tossing to combine. Top with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Adjust seasoning if needed and serve immediately.
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