Roasted Za'atar Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts

Za'atar cauliflower with sweet dates, toasted pine nuts, and fresh thyme, roasted to perfection with a blend of aromatic Middle Eastern spices and flavors.

Course Side Dish

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 221kcal

Author Rebecca Taig

Ingredients

1 head (850g) cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons (45g) olive oil
½ lemon zested
1 tablespoon za’atar spice, plus more to season
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup (30g) pine nuts, toasted
2 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus additional sprigs for serving

Instructions

Prep the cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower head into small florets, wash, and dry thoroughly. In a large mixing bowl toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, lemon zest, za’atar spice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Spread the cauliflower out evenly on a baking sheet.
Roast the cauliflower. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Prep the pine nuts and dates. While the cauliflower is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a skillet for 1 to 2 minutes. Then finely chop the dates and fresh thyme.
Combine and serve. Add the cooked cauliflower to a large serving bowl, and toss with half of the pine nuts, freshly chopped dates, and fresh thyme. Sprinkle on top of the dish the remaining dates, pine nuts, and fresh thyme along with a few extra sprinkles of additional zaatar spice if desired. (The dates and pine nuts tend to sink to the bottom, therefore dividing the mixture in half helps to evenly combine everything.)

Notes

Dry cauliflower. After you’ve rinsed the cauliflower florets with water, lay them on a paper towel or kitchen towel to absorb all the moisture. The dryer they are the crispier and more caramelized they will get as they roast.

Spread out evenly on the baking sheet. To ensure the cauliflower cooks evenly, spread the florets out in a single layer so they are not touching. This helps them roast and not steam.

Add the dates, pine nuts, and fresh thyme in layers. I noticed that when everything was tossed together at once, a lot of the dates and pine nuts fell to the bottom of the dish. To avoid this, toss half of the date, pine nuts, and thyme mixture with the cauliflower in the serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining mixture on top.

Add additional zaatar spice before serving. Roasting can sometimes dilute the bright zaatar flavor, therefore I sometimes add a few more sprinkles to the top of the prepared dish before serving.

Nutrition