Air Fried Cauliflower with Herbed Pesto Sauce

This has been a favorite side dish for a while now, and the pesto sauce is one of my favorite sauces. The cauliflower is easy to prepare and cooks up quickly with the combo of using the oven to roast it, and then the air fryer to finish it off with a nice crisp. Topping it over the creamy pesto sauce packs a punch of fresh flavor, along with the addition of pine nuts, golden raisins and chopped herbs. I like to serve this alongside grilled chicken thighs, grilled shrimp, or another protein. But if you are looking for a vegetarian dinner option, this is a great choice as it’s hearty enough to stand on it’s own. Perfect for a meatless Monday or a standout side dish, hope you enjoy this year-round favorite.

AIR FRYED CAULIFLOWER WITH HERBED PESTO SAUCE

1 head of cauliflower
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Handful of golden raisins (optional)
Handful of pumpkin seeds (optional)
Fresh chopped parsley and basil to garnish

Herbed Pesto Sauce
1/2 cup of raw cashews
2 cups of fresh herbs (I like to use a mixture of basil, mint and arugula)
1/3 cup of olive oil
The juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
2 TBS of water
Salt & pepper to taste

Start by trimming and slicing your cauliflower. Cut off the stem and peel off any leaves. Next, starting from top to bottom, make about 1 1/2 inch slices, so you have these cauliflower “steaks”. Some may break apart, and that is fine. You will have some that are a full “steak” and others that are smaller pieces, and it really doesn’t matter or affect the taste or cooking method.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a non-stick cookie sheet and spread out your cauliflower, then drizzle it with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake until browned about 15 to 20 minutes. But don’t over cook it because it is going into the air fryer next.

While your cauliflower is roasting, make the sauce. If you have a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or The Beast , you do not need to soak the cashews. (I have The Beast and it makes the most perfect sauces!) If you do not have a high speed blender, then you will start by placing your raw cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak for about an hour. (You can skip this step if you have that powerful blender). Next, add all ingredients to your blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste it! If it needs more salt, water, etc. Add it to your liking. Sometimes I need to add a little more liquid if it needs it, and I just put a little more water in. It should be a beautiful green color with a creamy consistency. Pour the sauce into a container and set aside in the fridge while you finish the cauliflower.

Once your cauliflower is done roasting in the oven, you will then transfer it to your air fryer. This step gives the cauliflower a nice crisp, but if you don’t have an air fryer, you can just continue to roast it in the oven until desired crispiness. I have this 8-in-1 Cuisinart Air Fryer that is also a grill, a toaster, oven, broiler, etc. and it works great! I do not add any extra oil to the cauliflower. Once you transfer to the basket, air fry at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes or so and then it’s done. Make sure you check that it doesn’t burn! All air friers are different and you may need to adjust the time and temp.

To plate, I take my pesto sauce and spread it on a nice shallow platter and then arrange the cauliflower on top of the sauce. Sprinkle pine nuts, golden raisins (both optional), and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. A perfect side dish and crowd pleaser!