Veggie Inspired

healthy plant based recipes for the whole family

Home » Blog Posts » Easy Plant Based Recipes » Pasta » Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

By: Jenn Sebestyen / Published: / Last Updated:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

Print Recipe Jump to Recipe

Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce – needs only a handful of ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes. 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.

What is Scampi?

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 Nutrition

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.

Cauliflower and Breadcrumbs

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!

Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

I hope you love this Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce as much as we do. If you make it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote
Plate of Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce garnished with wedges of lemon and fresh parsley.
Print
Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - needs only a handful of ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Weeknight winner!
Course: Entree, Pasta
Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free
Servings: 4
Calories: 350 kcal
Author: Jenn Sebestyen
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower (chopped into bite size florets)
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • handful fresh parsley (chopped)
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 lb linguine* (cooked according to package directions) (or pasta of choice - spaghetti or even zoodles would work)
Vegan Parmesan garnish, optional
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. Toss the cauliflower florets in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 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. 

  3. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions.

  4. 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. 

  5. Add the lemon juice and broth and simmer 5 minutes.

  6. 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.

  7. In a coffee grinder or small food processor, grind the pepitas with the nutritional yeast into a course powder. 

  8. Sprinkle the pepita mixture, if using, over the cauliflower and linguine and serve immediately. 

Recipe Notes

*Use gluten free pasta if desired.

 

 

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 350 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Sodium 287mg 12%
Potassium 548mg 16%
Total Carbohydrates 54g 18%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 5g
Protein 12g 24%
Vitamin A 9%
Vitamin C 137%
Calcium 4%
Iron 16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Easy Dairy Free Weeknight Winners:

Mediterranean Pasta w/ Roasted Peppers and Artichokes

Overhead shot of a bowl of penne pasta w/ vegetables & garnished with lemon slices. A gray & white striped dish towel lies next to the bowl on the right. A fork, lemon wedges, and a small bowl of olives is on the left side of the bowl.

Orange Cauliflower

Orange Cauliflower

Quinoa with Garden Vegetables

Quinoa with Garden Vegetables

ConvertKit Form

Comments

  1. Benjamin says

    10/09/2018 at 1:05 pm

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

    Reply

  2. Shannon says

    03/04/2018 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!

    Reply

  3. Diana says

    01/24/2018 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

  4. Diana says

    01/15/2018 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

      01/15/2018 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

  6. Andria says

    08/17/2017 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! <3

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      08/17/2017 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

  7. Alisa Fleming says

    08/16/2017 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

      08/16/2017 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

  12. Tracy says

    08/09/2017 at 2:46 pm

    I’m a little confused- in the blog post you said you roasted the cauliflower in lemon juice & olive oil. But in the directions you only roast in salt & pepper. Am I missing something?

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      08/09/2017 at 4:30 pm

      Oh my gosh – thank you for pointing that out! I forget to add the lemon juice to that part of the recipe.

      Reply

  13. Emily Kyle says

    08/09/2017 at 2:24 pm

    This is a genius ideas as a plant-based alternative to shrimp scampi! II love a good white wine sauce, and I bet my husband would like this! Can’t wait to try 🙂

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      08/09/2017 at 8:56 am

      HaHa! That’s true, it can be a bit of a crumbly mess when chopping. I try to use an oversized cutting board so it’s not all over my counter too. But even then the little bits still roll around. LOL!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      08/09/2017 at 8:47 am

      Thank you so much, Sarah! My hubby loved it too and ate all of the leftovers! And he’s not always the most excited about my plant based dishes. LOL! I really hope you love it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


My name is Jenn. This is my blog where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

Read more...

Let’s Stay Connected!

ConvertKit Form

AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

Jenn Sebestyen/Veggie Inspired is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jenn Sebestyen and Veggie Inspired with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.