This veggie scampi features steamed cauliflower tossed in a sauce made with a few ingredients you likely have on hand. Serve with pasta or without, depending on your own preferences.
This is a fabulous weeknight dinner that's ready in about 30 minutes.
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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
- 🔪 Recommended Equipment
- 📝 Instructions Overview
- 🔪 How to Prep the Cauliflower
- 🎯 Why This Recipe Works
- ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- 🥬 Keep it Vegan
- 🫙 Can I make this veggi scampi ahead?
- Cauliflower Scampi in a Lemon Shallot White Wine Sauce
This shrimp scampi without the shrimp uses cauliflower instead. It's tossed in a vegan white wine sauce with shallots and garlic that even my meat-loving husband loves. Cauliflower is a great substitute for meats such as cauliflower steaks and in tetrazzini instead of chicken.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Lemony bright flavors. The lemon with shallot, olive oil, garlic, and white wine makes a bright sauce
- Simple ingredients. You don't need any fancy ingredients to make this veggie scampi.
- Quick. Make it in 30 minutes or less.
- Family friendly. Pasta is always a winner with families.
- Flexible. Serve it without pasta as a side dish or with pasta as a main dish.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this veggie scampi, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Uncooked pasta - I used a fusilli, and linguini works well, too.
- Cauliflower florets
- Lemon juice - jarred or fresh.
- Shallots
- Garlic
- White wine - A light dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, is best.
- Dried red pepper flakes
- Italian parsley - also called flat parsley.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Chef's knife
- Large pot - for the pasta
- Large pot - for steaming the cauliflower
- Large skillet
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this cauliflower scampi dish are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
Step 2
Cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets and steam them until tender.
Step 3
Scampi sauce. Heat the olive oil and lemon juice, and add the shallots and garlic. Simmer until the shallots soften, and add the white wine. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.
Step 4
Combine. Drain both the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add the steamed cauliflower and scampi sauce. Toss add the parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese.
Step 5
Serve. Serve warm.
🔪 How to Prep the Cauliflower
Breaking down a whole cauliflower is easy and quick. You only need the florets to make this veggie scampi. Save the central stalk and the longer stalks of the florets to make cauliflower soup or homemade vegetable broth.
- Slice off the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower and the end of the stalk that they attach to. Discard.
- Slice the head of the cauliflower in half to expose the core stem. Cut out the bottom two inches of the central stem and save it for making broth or soup.
- The florets are now exposed from their bottoms, making it easy to slice them from the core of the cauliflower. Slice larger ones into bite-size pieces.
- When dividing florets, always cut from under their crowns. Start the cut at their stems or where they branch out from the stems. You'll have much less cauliflower crumbling this way.
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
- Cauliflower is a mild-flavored vegetable and takes on the flavors of sauces perfectly.
- The sauce for this veggie scampi is a perfect light sauce for any time of year and meshes beautifully with the cauliflower and pasta. The pasta has just enough texture to hold the sauce too!
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase cauliflower already cut into florets. You may need to cut them down further to bite-size.
- Cook the pasta up to 3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Steam the cauliflower in the microwave oven. Arrange it in a microwave-proof baking dish with ¼ cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for a few minutes until tender.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Add gremolata breadcrumbs as a final topping.
- Roast the cauliflower instead of steaming it.
- Add spinach, fire-roasted tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- Add fresh herbs such as thyme or basil.
- If you want to serve this dish during Passover, eliminate the pasta. And if you're looking for more Passover friendly dishes, check out this Passover Potato Kugel.
🥬 Keep it Vegan
Be sure to use a plant-based Parmesan-style cheese.
🫙 Can I make this veggi scampi ahead?
Yes. Make the entire dish ahead, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Cauliflower Scampi in a Lemon Shallot White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked fusilli or 4 ounces uncooked linguini
- 6 cups cauliflower florets, in bite-sized pieces 1 small head of cauliflower
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to finish dish
- ½ cup finely diced shallots
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste, or minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine, or vegetable broth
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan style cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Pour 2 inches of water in a pot, insert a steamer basket, and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Pile the cauliflower florets into the basket, cover the pot, and steam until the florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the lemon juice, shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and sauté until the shallots are soft, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the wine, and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes.
- When the cauliflower is done, lift the basket containing the florets and empty them into the skillet. Add the red pepper flakes, half of the parsley, and half of the Parmesan (if using). Sauté for another 2 - 3 minutes.
- Scoop out ½ cup of pasta water, drain the pasta in a colander, and return the pasta to the pot over medium-low heat. Empty the skillet's contents into the pot with the pasta and toss with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the cauliflower scampi and pasta to a serving plate and top with the remaining parsley and Parmesan cheese (if using). Serve warm.
Liz
I'm so excited for you, Susan! A cookbook is certainly a labor of love and I know yours will be fabulous---as is this terrific cauliflower recipe!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz! I'm still pinching myself!
Jamie
I absolutely never thought of making scampi with only vegetables, I who grew up on shrimp scampi! But I love cauliflower, just love it and I think this is such a marvelous way to prepare it! And a huge congratulations on the cookbook!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Jamie, for your kind comment! I love to take traditional, familiar dishes, and then make them vegetarian. It doesn't always work, lol, but this is one that did 🙂
Laura@motherwouldknow
I can't wait to see your new cookbook. And if this recipe is any indication of what "easy" means, I'm all for it. I'd call this delicious - and only incidentally easy:) Love how you used the lemon to amp up the flavor. Cauliflower is a wonderful vegetable, so versatile. But like Jamie, I'd never thought of using it for scampi - genius!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Lemon is such a great way to amp up flavors, as you put it, Laura. We had this dish again last night with linguini, and loved it that way too - more of a meal, for sure. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Jane, The Heritage Cook
This is so clever Susan, combining two of my favorites into one. I love cauliflower and the sauce for scampi and putting them together is like icing on a cake! Way to go Susan!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I love cauliflower - I think it's the most flexible vegetable I cook. Thanks so much, Jane!!
Karen
I'm so excited for your cookbook! This cauliflower is gorgeous! Pinned.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Karen!!
Rita
YUMM This is on my "to make" list. My kind of recipe
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Rita! If you make it I'd love to hear what you think! I made it as a pasta dish last night with scallops for Myles. So good!
Barbara | Creative Culinary
Wow Susan this sounds fantastic. I'm one who could steam a whole head of cauliflower and dab it with some salt and butter and sit and eat the whole thing, so THIS recipe makes for a nirvana moment. SO glad you are back...don't leave us again. 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Cauliflower is the best, isn't it?! And thank you very much for the welcome back. I'm thrilled to be back!!
Carol Borchardt
Congratulations on the cookbook! I'm sure it will be amazing if it's full of recipes like this one! Cauliflower scampi is a genius idea! I'm always looking for new cauliflower recipes so this one is a must-try!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Carol! I bought some mango today to make your recipe!!
Coleen @ The Redhead Baker
What a creative twist on shrimp scampi! Congratulations on the cookbook! So excited for you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Coleen - I'm very excited!
Beth (OMG! Yummy)
I am cooking for a couple days. This seriously might be my dinner. I adore this recipe and have two heads of cauliflower to use up. Great job Susan. So creative.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
You won't regret it, Beth! And I made it earlier this week with linguini and scallops. OMG yummy, my friend. 🙂
Henna Jackson
this is one of the tastiest recipes I've found so far. I tried it last night and it was great. I'm bookmarking your blog right now for more great recipes