Roasted Cauliflower with Cilnatro Pesto

We are diving head first into cooking in Amá.  I didn't realize that the chef, Josef Centeno, also owns Orsa and Winston in Los Angeles, which is where I took Joel for his birthday last year and we had a memorable and delicious meal that was within walking distance of our old school gorgeous hotel, back in the days when you might consider traveling to be safe.
Now we settle for cooking fabulous meals out of cookbooks instead.  This is super simple and the prep is so easy it could be a weeknight side dish.  The pesto makes enough for two batches.  I had to sub in some parsley and I used all the stems--tasted great!

Pesto:
2 bunches fresh cilantro (leaves and soft stems only)

 ½ cup toasted pecans or cashews

 3 tbsp grated cotija cheese

 zest of 2 lemons

 1 garlic clove

 1 cup olive oil

Roasted Cauliflower:

 1 head cauliflower, florets separated

 3 tbsp olive oil

 Pinch of fine sea salt

 Fresh black pepper

 2 fresh thyme sprigs (optional—if you have some around, great)

 ⅓ cup grated cotija cheese

Make the pesto first.  Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the cilantro and cook just until bright green, 1 minute. Transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking and drain. Squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible with your hands or in a clean kitchen towel. Coarsely chop the cilantro and put it in a food processor. Add the nuts, cheese, lemon zest, and garlic. Pulse until a coarse purée forms (it should be fairly chunky). Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until it’s the desired consistency. Set aside.

Heat the broiler. Put the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Season with the salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the thyme, if using. Broil until the cauliflower is just tender and the edges are well browned, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through cooking.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss with about 1/2 cup [120 ml] of the cilantro-pecan pesto. (Reserve any extra pesto for another use; store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Transfer the cau¬liflower to a serving plate. Sprinkle with the cotija and then the lime juice, and serve immediately.