Cauliflower Piccata Recipe (2024)

I think roasting the chickpeas along with the cauliflower would be better. Aren’t chickpeas always better roasted and a bit crunchy?

We really enjoyed this. Made the sauce as in the recipe but the cauliflower I had was smaller than I had thought so I also roasted a courgette to add. The sauce was easy to make and full of flavour. We had it with some quinoa and stir-fried chard with a bit of chilli. Will definitely use this sauce again

No. Not everyone thinks chickpeas are better crunchy.Think Hummus. Or lots of other things.

Delicious, versatile sauce. Not changing the recipe here, just adding an option because I didn't have a cauliflower and the recipe was crying out to be made. Made sauce as directed with half white wine/half veg stock, and used a pinch or two of cayenne, otherwise as directed. Served over 1/2 lb cooked, drained cascatelli (new pasta shape and a gift that had to be tried) mixed with 14 oz can quartered artichokes (in water). Parmesan on top. Fabulous.

I made this over Christmas and it was a very real hit with my family, in particular my daughter and grandson who are both committed vegetarians. Watching my two vegetarians so thoroughly enjoy this was a very personal delight. And what little was left over was reheated and served to my grandson the following day. Why this note? To thank Hetty and the NYT for providing a recipe that helped a retired guy trying to become a cook hit a jackpot that still makes him/me smile. Thank you very much.

Likely you're buying the wrong capers. Look for Sicilian capers packed in wine vinegar (one brand I like is Caravaglio). Brined, rinsed, packed in salt, rinsed, then packed in wine vinegar for packaging. Far less "saltiness" and you'll note different herb notes like mustard and oregano. As a fallback I'll buy salt-preserved capers in the caputo size. I have jars of 8 different capers in my kitchen, they all taste different.

Substitute vegan “butter” for the butter to make this a good vegan recipe. Definitely needs some green veggies to go with it.

I made this with cauliflower AND broccoli florets and Farro on the side. It was delicious, a 'hit', and I will make it again and often. Next time, though, I will only use slices from 1/2 of a lemon. IMHO, a whole sliced lemon was excessive, wasteful, and didn't add to the dish. We had some leftovers & the next day, I warmed the Piccata & sprinkled some crumbled Feta on top. We actually thought that the Feta added to the recipe, which was truthfully one of the best veggie recipes in a long while.

I prefer to toss the cauliflower florets with a bit of olive oil in a bowl, rather than drizzle the oil over the florets in the sheet pan. One uses less oil, and it doesn't burn onto the bottom of the pan. I usually drain and rinse the chickpeas, and toss them in the same bowl. I also add salt right there on the bowl.

Sauce is tasty. Maybe too much butter. Would be good on chicken. Not crazy about it on cauliflower. I added currents. Don’t.

I feel a bit rude leaving this comment on a vegetarian dish so let’s just say this is hypothetical. You COULD add pan fried chicken, use that pan to cook the shallots, garlic etc., add yellow squash in with the cauliflower, ommit chickpeas, double the sauce (but keep the butter at 4tbs) and have a tasty, more veggie filled chicken piccata. Hypothetically!

As another reviewer suggested, I roasted the chickpeas with the cauliflower. Otherwise, made as directed, and served over brown rice. Delicious!

Not bad, but not great. One of the things i love about chicken piccata is the flour-dredged & pan-fried meat that gives flavor and richness to the sauce. This recipe really misses that. I might try this again with cauliflower "steaks" that are pan fried instead of oven-roasted florets.

Loved this! Made it almost as directed; added the chickpeas to the already roasted cauliflower for about 15 minutes before serving atop baby arugula and alongside pan-seared cod. The rich sauce wilted the arugula and that was awesome.

I suggest sauteing capers before adding them to the sauce (like in NYT's "Spicy and Saucy Cherry Tomato Pasta") and agree with reviewers who roasted chickpeas. I roasted them separately since they don't take as long as the cauliflower. I also agree the amount of sauce needs to be increased. I upped by 50% but reduced butter by half - don't care much for the buttery flavor of the original one. No need for the sliced lemon - it's lemony enough. Really like the result, will make it again!

I made this recipe with the cauliflower a while ago, and I just made it again to serve with sauteed mushrooms, over pasta. We're vegans so I used vegan butter. And I pickled sliced ramps in a salt brine last spring -- so I used those instead of capers, which I did not have. So so so excellent, OMG this sauce is the best!

I like the idea of roasting the chickpeas… maybe adding them after 10 minutes. I added arugula along with the parsley, which gave it a nice peppery herbal kick. This is money. I might even try crosscutting the entire cauliflower into thin steaks, after a blanching, then lightly breading them? Is that crazy talk?

I made this with a large cauliflower and about 1/4 of another (leftover) cauliflowr. Added the chickpeas to the roasting cauliflower about 1/2 way through, to make them a bit crispy. I think that was a good choice. I used the zest of 1 lemon and the juice from 2 lemons since I had more cauliflower than the original recipe.Served as a vegetarian main with polenta (and focaccia). Maybe next time I'll add some kale or other green to it for a more complete meal. Delicious!

Made this mostly as written, although I used orange cauliflower since that was what I happened to have on hand and it was amazing. Added half a cup of white wine and 1/2 tablespoon of flour based on some of the other comments (and just made more of the sauce), I think those were good calls.

My husband said we had capers in the pantry (we usually do), but when I went to make this recipe, there were no capers; I chopped up Kalamata olives instead, and that did just as well. I included the chick peas and served this on pasta—delicious.

This is wonderful - goes perfectly with salmon!

I do occasionally expire from exasperation about this false standard of following the recipe. Who says? Recipes are for riffing. Cooking is for fun. Hie thee off to a boy’s academy or take the hangar out of the shirt and you’ll feel better.

This was incredible. I served with a wild rice mix prepared in the instant pot for texture, color, flavor and nutrition. I didn't have capers, but I did have sliced wild ramp bulbs that I fermented in a salt brine last spring, so I used those -- the perfect salty note.We're vegetarian and this dish plus the rice was our whole meal, so yeah, I added the chickpeas. No, they don't need to be roasted or crispy. Recipe is perfect as written.

Delicious. Served over a bed of arugula.

My vegetarian daughter and grandson love this meal. I use more lemon in the sauce and add a healthy amount of sliced kale tossed in olive oil piled atop the combined cauliflower/broccoli/chickpeas for the last 7 or so minutes of their 25+ minute time in the oven. The kale was added to fortify the nutritional value of this meal. Have made this for friends and given the recipe. People just flat out like it. Thank you Hetty!!!!!!!

I prefer this without the chickpeas, feels more traditional over pasta. Delicious recipe, quick and easy.

The whole family liked it, although I did not add the chickpeas. I've never been a huge cauliflower fan but this recipe has changed my mind.

I use dry white wine instead of broth, omit the chickpeas & serve with chickpea spaghetti. My favorite pasta dish!

I blitzed the chickpeas in the food processor and roasted with the cauliflower (kinda like breadcrumbs).

Made just as the recipe said, and it was delicious and needed no tweaking. Everyone snarfed it up.