Pasta with Cauliflower, Peppers, and Walnut Pesto
Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine
Serves 6

I needed to serve 7 people so I upped the pesto slightly and used one pound of pasta. There was plenty left over. Because I was not going to serve this right away, I used more of the pasta broth so it wouldn’t get dried out.

1 1/2 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cups olive oil
Kosher salt
3/4 pound orecchiette
1 small head of cauliflower (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4 inch strips
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4 inch strips
Freshly ground pepper

1. In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, parsley, walnuts, and garlic until finely chopped. Add 6 tablespoons of the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the cauliflower and season with salt. Cook over moderately high heat until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook until tender and brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Scrape the vegetables into a bowl.

4. Add the pasta, pesto, and the reserved pasta water to the vegetables; toss until the pasta is coated. Season with salt and pepper.