Linguine with Cauliflower Pesto

Set a large pot of salted water to boil

Prepare pesto – Pulse half the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like mixed sizes of couscous

Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and repeat with the second batch adding it to the same bowl when you are finished

If your cauliflower looks like the perfect texture but one large chunk insists upon escaping the steel blade’s grasp, pick it out and pulse it separately

Pulse the garlic, chilli flakes, almonds, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and parsley in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs

Transfer to the bowl with cauliflower, add the olive oil, the smaller amount of vinegar, and add a few pinches of salt and stir until combined

(If you do this step in the food processor it becomes an unseemly paste

Best to do it by hand

) Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – either adding more salt, pepper or remainder of vinegar

I start with about 1/2 teaspoon salt but often go up to nearly a full teaspoon

Assemble dish – Once water is boiling, add the linguine and cook until it is al dente (cooked but with a tiny bite left)/ Reserve about 250ml of the cooking water, then drain the rest

Immediately toss the hot pasta with the cauliflower pesto and half of your reserved cooking water, until everything is nicely dispersed

If the pesto still feels too thick, loosen it with the remaining reserved cooking water

Divide among bowls and pass with additional Parmesan cheese

Cooking notes: Want to skip the pasta? This is also incredible as a tapenade on olive-oil-brushed toasts

To make this like an Italian grandmother, or without a food processor, simply chop everything by hand