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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

    Published: Aug 8, 2017 · Modified: Sep 1, 2020 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    Cauliflower Scampi in a Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - buttery roasted cauliflower tossed with linguine pasta, lots of lemon and a garlic white wine sauce. Just a handful of pantry and fridge staples and about 30 minutes are needed to make this delicious vegetarian weeknight dinner. Vegan with a gluten free option.

    Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce needs only a handful of ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s a weeknight winner!

    Plate of Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce garnished with wedges of lemon and fresh parsley.

    My last cauliflower recipe – my Roasted Cauliflower Salad w/ Lentils & Grapes – was back in March, so you know I was due for another one. You guys continue to love on my Crispy Baked Cauliflower Tacos and my Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, so I can only assume you love this white veggie as much as I do.

    Today I’m bringing you this quick and easy pasta recipe with roasted cauliflower, lots of lemon, and a garlic white wine sauce. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight. But it’s also classy enough for entertaining!

    Fork swirling noodles on a plate of linguine with cauliflower and lemon wedges.

    Scampi is a type of lobster, or more accurately, the meaty tail of a certain type of lobster. Here in the U.S. though, it generally refers to a dish made with shrimp in a sauce consisting of garlic, butter, and wine. Sometimes, breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese are added as well. You can’t really go wrong with lots of garlic, lemon and wine, right?

    Of course, we’re making this scampi without shrimp or lobster. Instead, I roasted cauliflower with olive oil and lemon juice until tender. It’s SO GOOD that it almost didn’t make it to the pasta…I was eating it straight from the pan! So, take note, that this roasted cauliflower by itself would make a great side dish for any other meal you’re planning too.

    Plate of linguine with roasted cauliflower, lemon wedges, and parsley.

    Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable and, although it is white in color, has many of the same health benefits that you find in the cruciferous green super food veggies like broccoli and kale. It contains many antioxidants, as well as being high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, K, B’s, folate, fiber, potassium, healthy omega-3 fats, and even protein.

    Growing up we ate a lot of cauliflower. Back then I liked it best steamed, tossed in butter and breadcrumbs, and drizzled with malt vinegar. I know that might sound weird, but trust me, it was fabulous!

    Since I love cauliflower and breadcrumbs together so much, and because breadcrumbs and parmesan are sometimes used in scampi dishes, I added my own little version of this here. I blitzed hulled pumpkin seeds (which have a great cheesy like flavor that I LOVE in pesto) with nutritional yeast (also providing a cheesy flavor) in a coffee grinder.

    Sprinkled over the top of this Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce, it provides a similar texture and flavor all without dairy or carbs. (Not that I’m afraid of carbs – clearly I’m not – this is a pasta dish after all…just pointing out you can have that breadcrumb texture without bread when you desire.)

    Fork twirling linguine noodles over a plate of pasta.

    The sauce makes just enough so the noodles are coated, but not swimming in it. The perfect amount if you ask me. Light enough for a quick summer meal, but filling enough to be winter comfort food. Delicious all year round!

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

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    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Plate of Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce garnished with wedges of lemon and fresh parsley.

    Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

    Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce – needs only a handful of ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Weeknight winner!
    5 from 24 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Main Dish, Pasta
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cauliflower (chopped into bite size florets)
    • ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
    • 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
    • handful fresh parsley (chopped)
    • pinch red pepper flakes
    • ½ lb linguine* (cooked according to package directions) (or pasta of choice – spaghetti or even zoodles would work)

    Vegan Parmesan garnish, optional

    • 2 tbsp pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Toss the cauliflower florets in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ½ tsp salt. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet in one even layer and bake for 15 minutes. Shake the pan to toss the cauliflower around, let it settle back into an even layer, and bake another 10 minutes. 
    • Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions.
    • While the pasta and cauliflower are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large pan on the stove. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer 3-4 minutes until the liquid reduces a bit. 
    • Add the lemon juice and broth and simmer 5 minutes.
    • When the cauliflower is done, toss it into the white wine sauce. Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Add the fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a little more lemon juice or salt if needed.
    • In a coffee grinder or small food processor, grind the pepitas with the nutritional yeast into a course powder. 
    • Sprinkle the pepita mixture, if using, over the cauliflower and linguine and serve immediately. 

    Notes

    *Use gluten free pasta if desired.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 113mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.9mg

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!

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    Comments

    1. Elle says

      April 02, 2023 at 6:23 pm

      Delicious, prepared as written. My husband and I had second helpings. This is a new favorite.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 02, 2023 at 6:47 pm

        I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Joan Ramler says

      March 24, 2023 at 12:55 pm

      Love the lemon and wine combination!!! Fresh and bright! We love anything cauliflower so the roasted cauliflower suits us perfectly.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        March 24, 2023 at 3:09 pm

        I’m so glad you love it, Joan. Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Mindy says

      April 15, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      Fresh and delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 17, 2022 at 6:41 pm

        Thanks, Mindy! Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Lauren K says

      December 15, 2020 at 7:38 pm

      Loved this recipe! We made it with gluten free pasta. All of the flavors from the wine, garlic and lemon combine so nicely for a delicious dish. It was quick and easy to make, so it’s a great weeknight meal!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        December 15, 2020 at 9:34 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback, Lauren! So happy to hear you loved it!

        Reply
    5. Elizabeth says

      May 22, 2020 at 11:23 pm

      The cauliflower and noodles started out great. I thought the raw flavoured cauliflower was a good sign. I was wrong. The dish was dry and bitter. My man kept adding chili pepper flakes to get rid of the bitter taste. We dont like wine. That’s probably where this recipe went wrong for us. Sorry. Wont make it again. It was fun to try some thing new though.

      Reply
    6. Bonnie Lapen says

      April 06, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      I’ll be repeating this tasty dish and also passing this recipe on to friends. Loved it!

      Reply
      • Bonnie Lapen says

        April 06, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        Five stars on this! Delicious5 stars

        Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 06, 2020 at 9:15 pm

        Thank you so much! It makes me so happy that you love it!

        Reply
    7. Chris Voci-Nam says

      February 13, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      Made this last night – ANOTHER WINNER!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        February 13, 2020 at 6:54 pm

        Yay!! Thank you, Chris!

        Reply
    8. Benjamin says

      October 09, 2018 at 1:05 pm

      This was wonderful. Normally I always need to tweak recipes but this one was great right off the bat.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        October 09, 2018 at 2:21 pm

        Thank you, Benjamin! So happy to hear that!

        Reply
    9. Shannon says

      March 04, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      I made this tonight and WOW! It was so delicious! My husband and I are happily stuffed 😊 Thank you for this delicious scampi! We didn’t miss the shrimp one bit and it completely satisfied our craving! Yum!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        March 05, 2018 at 10:14 am

        Thank you for this awesome feedback! I’m so happy to know you loved it. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Diana says

      January 24, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      So a few days later…but we finally had a chance to make this…oh my word! This is so good, it’s unbelievable! I can’t say enough about it. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        January 25, 2018 at 7:19 am

        Yay!! Thank you, Diana! I’m so happy you loved it!!

        Reply
    11. Diana says

      January 15, 2018 at 7:42 am

      I see that people have tried this and I would like to, but it doesn’t give the “Garlic White Wine Sauce” I think the link is deactivated. I “searched” your website and it does come up that way either. Please help me out…this looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        January 15, 2018 at 8:54 am

        Hi, Diana. The ingredients and instructions for the sauce are all there. It’s not a separate recipe. Hope you enjoy it.

        Reply
        • Diana says

          January 15, 2018 at 10:39 am

          oh boy…I sure missed that! Thanks for bringing to my attention…it’s on the menu for dinner tonight!

    12. Dev says

      September 25, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      The calcium count in the nutritional values seems wrong.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        September 25, 2017 at 6:24 pm

        Thanks for pointing that out, Dev. It was indeed wrong. I’ve updated the stats.

        Reply
    13. Andria says

      August 17, 2017 at 6:22 pm

      I tried this recipe this week and let me tell you its off the charts! The garlic, white wine and lemon combo oh my! The amazing aroma filled the house and i was already drooling! ;-P I will def be making this again and again. Thank you so much! <35 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        August 17, 2017 at 9:53 pm

        Thank you so much, Andria! So happy you loved it!! Can’t go wrong with pasta and wine, right?! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!

        Reply
    14. Alisa Fleming says

      August 16, 2017 at 11:09 am

      You know, I haven’t had a lot of luck getting cauliflower sauce to go over in our house. Rice, yes, sauce, not so much. But your use of olive oil and wine just might do the trick!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        August 16, 2017 at 4:22 pm

        Well, wine does make everything better. Baked tofu would also be yummy in this if you want to replace the cauliflower.

        Reply
    15. Dianne says

      August 11, 2017 at 4:00 pm

      This looks like my kinda meal! I want to drink that sauce with a straw!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        August 11, 2017 at 4:17 pm

        I say go for it! It’s got wine after all! 🙂

        Reply
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