Delicious and with a big protein punch, this vegetarian quinoa bake is going to get scooped up so quickly!
Do you do Meatless Monday? I don’t. But I do try to eat at least one vegetarian dinner per week.
But over here, we’re really used to a lot of protein so when I do make a meatless dinner, I try to make sure it’s really hearty and satisfying in the protein department.
Today’s recipe for Italian Cauliflower and Quinoa Bake is similar. It has both high-protein quinoa and cheese. Combined with the meaty texture of roasted cauliflower, it’s satisfying from the first mouthful.
You’ll wish every day is Meatless Monday with this bake. Cauliflower offers a meaty texture. Quinoa adds protein.
Ingredients
30 oz. cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup uncooked quinoa
30 oz. tomato sauce (no sodium, add salt to taste)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a 13 x 9-inch pan combine cauliflower, olive oil, salt, oregano, basil and black pepper. Toss and roast until cauliflower is lightly browned in spots, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions (will yield about 3 cups cooked). Drain if needed and fluff with a fork. Transfer it to a medium bowl and add the tomato sauce, 4 ounces of the cheese and salt to taste (if desired).
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add the quinoa mixture to it. Stir. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and tomato sauce is bubbly, 15-20 minutes.
48411.4 g1046 mg24.6 g47.3 g23.3 g50.6 mg
If you like the idea behind this cauliflower dinner, I bet you’ll also like this Italian Roasted Cauliflower side dish. It’s one of my most popular recipes on Pinterest and I’m excited that so many people are loving it.
Video by Leigh Olson. Article and recipe by Christine Pittman.
This post originally appeared in August, 2015 and was revised and republished in October, 2017.
Any idea what the nutritional value is for this dish? It is delish and would love to make/eat more often but I need to track my calorie intake (weight loss goals) and especially the carbs intake (diabetic and need to manage my intake). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
What an awesome dish..and fast.Okay as with all things, I changed it up a bit. Didn’t have mozzarella cheese, so substituted, parmesan, feta and cheddar in equal amounts. I like spicy stuff, so when I cooked the quinoa,I added about 1 tablespoon of a spicy italian herb mix I have. When I put the quinoa and the cauliflower together , I added in about 4 cups of fresh spinach, then added the cheese topping. Cooked it an extra 5 minutes. This is an absolute keeper.. THANK YOU. you made my night, I love to experiment, and this dish was easy and fast for a weeknight dish.
Christine Pittman — September 27, 2016 @ 10:32 am (#)
Gail, So happy you liked it. Your changes sound fantastic!
I made this for dinner and it was delicious! It tasted just like parmagian. We are thinking of adding other veggies to the mix next time. Thanks for a delicious way to eat cauliflower!!!
Just had this for supper. We all loved it, including my 8 month old and 3 year old! I didn’t cook the cauliflower as long as stated so as to keep some crunch to the dish. YUMMY!
Yum! I used mama jess bean good organic pasta sauce and Kerry Gold Dubliner cheese as that is what was on hand, otherwise followed directions. It is delicious! Next time I may add broccoli and maybe carrots. Thanks for the great idea.
Carrie, not dumb at all. I used fresh, which is why you need to roast it on its own to soften it a bit before adding the other ingredients. I’m not positive, but I’m betting that if you used frozen you could skip that first roasting step since frozen cauliflower, once defrosted, is softer than fresh. If you try it with frozen, please let me know how it turns out. I’d love to be able to add the info to the recipe. Have a great weekend!
My hubby was resistant to giving up meat back in the day as well. He was for sure a meat and potatoes guy…and he was a super picky eater as a child (so I hear). But now? OMG! He’s vegan! He actually went vegan before me and inspired me to make the leap from vegetarian. I’m not saying your hubby will do the same, but it is interesting how your taste buds can change over time. And this Italian Cauliflower Bake? Looks amazing!! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Here on COOKtheSTORY, Professional Recipe Creator and Photographer Christine Pittman gives you a glimpse into her real life of quick and easy, healthy, homemade cooking. See her most popular recipes here.
It’s CAULIFLOWER RICE time! Our sister site The Cookful is doing a whole series on riced cauliflower right now with recipes, tips and how-to’s galore. Check it out!
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Any idea what the nutritional value is for this dish? It is delish and would love to make/eat more often but I need to track my calorie intake (weight loss goals) and especially the carbs intake (diabetic and need to manage my intake). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Added some frozen spinach and a splash of wing sauce when combining tomato sauce with Quinoa! a hit!
Carol, Fantastic! Love your adaptations!
What an awesome dish..and fast.Okay as with all things, I changed it up a bit. Didn’t have mozzarella cheese, so substituted, parmesan, feta and cheddar in equal amounts. I like spicy stuff, so when I cooked the quinoa,I added about 1 tablespoon of a spicy italian herb mix I have. When I put the quinoa and the cauliflower together , I added in about 4 cups of fresh spinach, then added the cheese topping. Cooked it an extra 5 minutes. This is an absolute keeper.. THANK YOU. you made my night, I love to experiment, and this dish was easy and fast for a weeknight dish.
Gail, So happy you liked it. Your changes sound fantastic!
This looks amazing! Do you know if this will freeze well?
Thanks!
Kicki, I think it should freeze well. You might want to use less sauce if freezing so it doesn’t end up liquidy.
I made this for dinner and it was delicious! It tasted just like parmagian. We are thinking of adding other veggies to the mix next time. Thanks for a delicious way to eat cauliflower!!!
Susan, So happy you liked it! I bet all kinds of veggies would work in there. Broccoli and carrots for sure.
Just had this for supper. We all loved it, including my 8 month old and 3 year old! I didn’t cook the cauliflower as long as stated so as to keep some crunch to the dish. YUMMY!
Fantastic! Thanks for letting me know.
Yum! I used mama jess bean good organic pasta sauce and Kerry Gold Dubliner cheese as that is what was on hand, otherwise followed directions. It is delicious! Next time I may add broccoli and maybe carrots. Thanks for the great idea.
Susie, That sounds delicious. So happy you liked it!
I love baked cauliflower! <3
This may be a dumb question, but do you use frozen or fresh cauliflower?
Carrie, not dumb at all. I used fresh, which is why you need to roast it on its own to soften it a bit before adding the other ingredients. I’m not positive, but I’m betting that if you used frozen you could skip that first roasting step since frozen cauliflower, once defrosted, is softer than fresh. If you try it with frozen, please let me know how it turns out. I’d love to be able to add the info to the recipe. Have a great weekend!
This is delicious. The entire family loved it!
Michaela, Thanks for letting me know. I’m so glad you guys liked it!
Just came out of the oven! Looks great! Can’t wait to share it with the fam!
Made this for my lunches this week. So yummy and filling!
I am so so happy that you like it, Carly! Thanks for letting me know.
This looks incredible Christine! My family would devour this.
My hubby was resistant to giving up meat back in the day as well. He was for sure a meat and potatoes guy…and he was a super picky eater as a child (so I hear). But now? OMG! He’s vegan! He actually went vegan before me and inspired me to make the leap from vegetarian. I’m not saying your hubby will do the same, but it is interesting how your taste buds can change over time. And this Italian Cauliflower Bake? Looks amazing!! Can’t wait to give it a try!
I love everything about this girl!!