Roasted Vegetable Rice with Garlic and Parmesan
Take cauliflower rice up another level! The method for how to cook riced cauliflower in the oven can also be used to make this Roasted Vegetable Rice with Garlic and Parmesan with cauliflower, carrots, sweet bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash that’s festive and simply delicious!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
My clients don’t want bits and pieces of vegetables left in their refrigerator because they typically don’t cook. If I don’t have a specific use for it, there’s no guarantee I’ll use it either. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m averse to food waste.
I was making Cauliflower Rice for a client one day and had some leftover carrots, red bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash from some other recipes I made. I decided to roast them and stirred them into the cauliflower rice I had already made. Voila! Roasted Vegetable Rice with Garlic and Parmesan was born!
That night I got a text message from my client raving about it! They said it was a welcome change from just cauliflower rice.
This recipe takes cauliflower rice to a colorful, festive level with additional vegetables, garlic and nutty Parmesan cheese!
How to Make Roasted Vegetable Rice with Garlic and Parmesan:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe along with how to prep. See the riced vegetable recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Cauliflower: Here’s where purchased “riced” cauliflower (also called cauliflower “pearls”) will save you some time. If you prefer to make it yourself, I recommend grating it rather than making it in a food processor. You’ll have “grains” that are more similarly sized than if you make it in a food processor. However, If you want/need to make them in a food processor, here’s a great tutorial on making riced vegetables from Cotter Crunch.
- Carrots: Save time by using purchased julienned carrots then chopping them.
- Red Bell Pepper: You can also use yellow or orange bell pepper; as long as it’s a sweet pepper. I’m not a fan of green bell pepper with cauliflower as the flavors “fight” (in my not-so-humble opinion).
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Line two baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Spread the cauliflower pearls (riced cauliflower) onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the carrots, drizzle with olive oil, stir and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Place the diced red bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, take both baking sheets out of the oven.
- Tent the sheet pan with the cauliflower and carrots with aluminum foil or another identically-sized sheet pan to keep it warm.
- Add the garlic to the pan with the zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper, stir it in and place it back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and toss the vegetables on both pans together. Add salt and black pepper to taste, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
- And serve!! Roasted Riced Vegetables with Garlic and Parmesan!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Zucchini and yellow squash are super easy to dice:
- Remove the stem and flower end.
- Cut into planks.
- Stack half the planks and cut into strips.
- Dice.
- If you don’t have nonstick aluminum foil, use regular aluminum and spray it with cooking spray.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! Just like vegetables, in general, are good for you, riced vegetables are very good for you. The benefit to mixing them up is you get the various benefits of other vegetables. Meaning, that cauliflower provides a set of nutrients, broccoli has a set of nutrients and so on.
A food processor is the easiest way to make vegetable rice. However, it doesn’t create even “grains” and it’s possible to overprocess the vegetable. It’s also possible to create vegetable rice with a grater using the side or section with the largest holes. If you don’t mind some chopping, a good sharp chef’s knife also works.
Try: Diced sweet potatoes, broccoli (great way to use up broccoli stems), other sweet bell peppers such as yellow or orange, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, green beans, turnips, rutabaga and kohlrabi. Simply adjust roasting time as needed.
What to Serve with Vegetable Rice:
- Seared Lamb Chops with Anchovy Butter
- Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak with Peperonata
- Easy Skillet Mediterranean Chicken
- Braised Pork Loin Roast in Dijon Mustard Sauce
- Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes
- Chicken Milanese
More great no-waste recipes!
- Cream of Celery Leaves Soup
- Carrot Top Salsa Verde
- Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme Rosemary and Parmesan
- Purslane Chimichurri
Get all my best vegetable recipes here! Vegetable Side Dishes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Roasted Vegetable Rice with Garlic and Parmesan
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Equipment
- Rimmed Sheet Pan (2)
Ingredients
- Cooking spray - if needed in place of nonstick aluminum foil
- 1 bag (1-pound) cauliflower rice (riced cauliflower)
- 1 cup julienned carrots - store-bought, chopped (will make approximately 3/4 cup)
- 1 small zucchini - cut into approximately 1/4-inch cubes (approximately 2 cups)
- 1 small yellow squash - cut into approximately 1/4-inch cubes (approximately 2 cups)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper - seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese - or Asiago or Romano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two 15 x 10-inch baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
- Place the riced cauliflower on one of the prepared baking sheets and add the carrots. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir the cauliflower and carrots to distribute the oil and seasonings.
- Place the zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to distribute the oil and seasonings.
- Place both sheet pans with the vegetables in the oven and roast for 12 minutes.
- Remove both sheet pans from the oven. Tent the cauliflower / carrot sheet pan with aluminum foil to keep it warm or place another identical-sized sheet pan over it to keep it warm.
- Add the minced garlic to the zucchini / yellow squash / red bell pepper sheet pan and stir to distribute.
- Place the zucchini / yellow squash/ red bell pepper sheet pan back in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Combine both sheet pans of vegetables, stir well and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Diced sweet potatoes, broccoli (great way to use up broccoli stems), other sweet bell peppers such as yellow or orange, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, green beans, turnips, rutabaga and kohlrabi.
- Adjust roasting time as needed.
- To quickly dice zucchini and yellow squash:
- Remove the stem and flower end.
- Cut into planks.
- Stack half the planks, cut into strips, then dice.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.