Cauliflower Crust Garlic Breadsticks

By tinathorn

Ingredients

• 1/4 of a large fresh head of cauliflower (about 5 1/2 oz/160 g)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, freshly grated and divided (low-fat cheese is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning, divided
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper
• Cooking spray
• Marinara sauce, for serving (optional)

Details

Adapted from anediblemosaic.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that the excess paper hangs over the sides; lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

To “rice” the cauliflower, grate it on a cheese grater; you should have about 1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) of riced cauliflower. Put the riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave (uncovered) until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally (don’t add water or anything else); cool slightly. While the cauliflower cooks, heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly; cool slightly.

To the bowl with the softened cauliflower, add the garlic, egg, 3/4 of the cheese (reserving 1/4 for topping later), 1/4 teaspoon of the dried Italian herb seasoning (reserving 1/4 teaspoon for topping later), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then spread in the prepared loaf pan.

Bake until the loaf is set and starting to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper; use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the loaf pan and carefully flip it over onto the lined baking sheet (so the bottom is on top). Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Cut the loaf cross-wise into 8 pieces. Slightly separate the pieces and sprinkle the cheese on top along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning. Broil a couple minutes until the cheese is melted and golden in spots. Serve hot or warm. (If you let it cool for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, the crust will harden a bit so it’s easy to hold like a thin-crust pizza.)