Forget chicken or eggplant Parmesan, Cauliflower Parmesan is the dish to beat

A classic Parmesan — fried meat or eggplant, covered in a marinara sauce and topped with molten cheese — has been a staple on Italian American restaurant menus for decades.

Served next to a tangle of spaghetti or as a filling for a hot sandwich, this hearty dish has been a favorite of mine since I was a child.

Eggplant was the "parm" of choice in my house. I couldn't resist the hot, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside eggplant, topped with a brightly flavored tomato sauce that cut nicely through the richness of the eggplant with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese melted over everything.

I never missed the meat on Parm Night and I still don't, although I do like to play around with my vegetable fillings, as I've done with this week's Cauliflower Parmesan.

While eggplant makes perfect sense in the summer, now that fall is here, cauliflower deserves your attention, especially in this dish.

Cauliflower has become the go-to swap for many ingredients. Finely chopped cauliflower is the new "rice" for those looking to lower their carb intake. Cauliflower florets are battered and fried before getting coated in spicy Buffalo sauce for those who want to skip the chicken in their "wings." And slabs of cauliflower have been grilled, roasted or pan-fried for those looking to change steak dinners into a meatless affair.

If I'm being honest, though, I'm not using cauliflower in my beloved Parmesan dish because it's better for me. I'm using it because it's so delicious. In fact, I feel like this dish is a good choice if you're trying to convert any cauliflower haters in the house.

Sautéing the breadcrumbs first ensures an evenly brown, crispy coating without the bother of frying. It's a technique I often employ when I'm baking something that's been breaded, not only because it eliminates a messy step, but I actually like the results better.

I usually serve this dish with a side of spaghetti, but it's so hearty, a simple green salad would work well, too.

Serves 4.

Crispy, golden brown cauliflower steaks are topped with marinara sauce and cheese for deliciously satisfying vegetarian spin on an iconic Italian-American dish. From Meredith Deeds.

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 small heads of cauliflower

• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp. salt, divided

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

• 1/4 c. torn basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large-rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Remove the outer leaves from cauliflower and trim stem to create a flat base. Cut each cauliflower in half lengthwise through the core, creating two lobes with stem attached. Trim outer rounded edge of each piece to create two 1 1/2-inch thick "steaks" held together by the core (reserve remaining cauliflower for another use). Season the cauliflower with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

In shallow bowl, stir together flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a different shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. Coat both sides of cauliflower steaks with flour mixture, then the eggs and finally the toasted breadcrumbs, spooning each mixture into the nooks and crevices of the cauliflower steaks and tapping off the excess as you go.

Place cauliflower on baking sheet. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until just tender when the tip of a knife is inserted into the stem. Remove from oven.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the marinara sauce onto each piece of cauliflower and sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Place back in oven and cook until the sauce is hot and the cheese is lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with fresh basil.

Serve with more marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese on the side.