Add cold water and ½ teaspoon of salt to a bowl large enough to hold the entire head of cauliflower. *you can also add one teaspoon of lemon juice to the water to give the cauliflower a little tang. Destem the cauliflower head and place it upside down in the cold salt water. Let it soak for at least 15 minutes (if you have more time let it soak up to 45 minutes)*this will impart some flavor to the cauliflower as well as help clean it. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Add the seasonings to a small bowl and mix to thoroughly combine.
Remove the cauliflower from the water and using a boning knife or pairing knife, cut along the stem side of the cauliflower. Try to keep the florets comparable in size to ensure even cooking.
Rinse the florets and remove any excess water, if needed, pat the florets down with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Add the cauliflower to a medium bowl and coat the florets with the olive oil, making sure to stir it to coat all of the florets.
Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture onto the cauliflower florets and stir to coat the florets.
Add the remainder of the seasoning mixture and stir again, this well help to make sure all pieces are seasoned evenly.
Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil (or parchment paper) and place a wire rack on top of it.*If you don't have a wire rack, you can place the seasoned florets directly on the foil-lined baking sheet. Using a rack lets the airflow under and around the florets helping to make them crispier. Spray the wire rack with a non-stick pan spray or rub it with a paper towel lightly coated with cooking oil.
Place the seasoned florets on the wire rack spacing them apart so the pieces do not touch, and place the baking sheet on a rack in the upper third of the preheated oven.
Roast the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes until desired tenderness or until they are fork tender.
Remove the pan from the oven and serve the cauliflower as a side dish or as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce.
I like to serve it with spicy siracha mayonnaise or chipotle pepper sauce, those are two of my favorite dipping sauces.
