Boil the cauliflower. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and carefully add the whole cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower is beginning to become tender when pierced with a knife, but isn't falling apart. Depending on the size of your cauliflower, this can take around 10–15 minutes. Drain well and let it steam dry for a few minutes. This step is important because it gives the cauliflower a tender interior before you move on to the browning stage.

Make the vegan bacon BBQ beans. While the cauliflower is draining, heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat and sauté the chopped vegan bacon until browned and fragrant. Add the beans, tomato paste, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and BBQ sauce. Stir everything together and let it cook for several minutes until the beans are coated in the smoky BBQ mixture. If the sauce feels too thick, add a small splash of water.

Add the cauliflower. Place the whole boiled cauliflower directly into the center of the BBQ beans. Spoon some of the sauce over the cauliflower so it starts absorbing those smoky flavors. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and season with another pinch of salt, pepper, or smoked paprika if needed.

Broil until browned. Transfer the skillet under a hot broiler and broil until the cauliflower develops deep golden-brown, almost charred edges. Keep a close eye on it because broilers can work quickly. You're looking for plenty of color on the outside while keeping the cauliflower tender inside. If your skillet isn't broiler-safe, transfer the beans and cauliflower to a suitable baking dish first.

Make the parsley pesto. Add the parsley, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blitz until you have a rustic pesto. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust with more lemon, olive oil, or salt until it's bright and savory.

Finish and serve. Spoon the parsley pesto generously over the browned cauliflower and BBQ beans. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of hemp seeds or fresh parsley. Cut the cauliflower into wedges and serve with plenty of the smoky beans underneath so every portion gets a little bit of everything.