If you are a fan of pesto, then this broccoli pesto pasta will be a huge hit. The sauce is made with basic pesto ingredients along with that a good amount of blanched broccoli is added making this dish one of the healthiest veggie packed pasta dish.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta is one of the easiest pasta you could ever make. I always make huge batch of homemade basil pesto and store them in freezer. Whenever I need quick dinner, it comes handy. All I need to do is toss cooked pasta and its ready.
This is a pasta dish which i am recently obsessed with. It has broccoli added, which makes it hightly nutritious. You can make this for dinner and serve with roast chicken for a filling meal.
About Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta, also known as pesto alla genovese, is an Italian sauce made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Imagine adding blanched broccoli to your pesto which creates greener pesto sauce.
This Broccoli Pesto Pasta Recipe, a healthy kids friendly pasta dish made with broccoli, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil and seasonings.
Adding broccoli to your pasta sauce is a great hack if you are making this for kids. Broccoli is one of the highly nutritious vegetable with excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K.
It can be eaten raw or cooked. Making pesto using broccoli is a great option to consume broccoli. Specially to pack in your kids lunch box.
Similar Recipes
Usually I start by boiling lots of water in a sauce pan. I use the same water to blanch my vegetables, basil and cook pasta.
Add broccoli into the water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The broccoli gets brighter green colour and also cooks slightly, this way it gets super creamy once blended.
Another tip which I follow, blanching the basil. Blanching the basil leaves in hot water for just 10 seconds makes it vibrant in colour. You have to try this hack when making regular pesto too.
Now in the same water, you can add the pasta to cook. I like using healthy pasta like chickpea pasta, gluten free pasta or lentil pasta. Any pasta work in this recipe.
Hack for Creamy Broccoli Pesto Sauce
When boiling pasta, make sure to reserve the pasta cooking liquid before straining. It is added when blending pesto sauce and also when tossing pasta into the sauce. The starchy cooking liquid helps emulsify the sauce which then clings to the pasta better.
I used pine nuts in the sauce, you can use almonds, cashews if you don't have pine nuts.
You can make a batch of pesto and store in fridge upto a week. It stays fresh and vibrant. Toss the sauce in cooked pasta along with pasta cooking liquid which emulsify the sauce to creamy texture.
Ingredients
- Pasta - I used lentil spaghetti for making pesto pasta, you can use any pasta you like.
- Basil leaves - fresh basil leaves is added to the pasta sauce which makes it so aromatic.
- Garlic - one of the main ingredient which helps to flavour the pasta. You can add as much garlic as you prefer.
- Pine nuts - like traditional pesto, I added pine nuts to the sauce. Instead of pine nuts you can use cashews, almonds.
- Broccoli - broccoli is blanched before blending to create greener pesto sauce. You can use cooked frozen broccoli to make the pesto.
- Lemon - fresh lemon juice not only adds refreshing zingy taste, but makes the sauce brighter green.
- Parmesan Cheese - this adds umami taste to the pasta while making it creamy.
- Red Chilli Flakes - you can add as much chilli flakes as needed to flavour the taste.
- Olive Oil - use good quality extra virgin olive oil to blend the sauce which emulsify the sauce to creamy texture.
Step by Step Pictures
Blanching Vegetables
1)Take water in a sauce pan, Bring lots of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
2)Now add in broccoli into the hot water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the broccoli is tender and bright green colour.
3)Strain using a slotted spoon and add it to a blender jar.
4)Now in the same water, add in basil leaves. Blanch the basil for just 10 seconds.
5)Strain it and add it into the blender jar with broccoli.
Cooking Pasta
6)Now in the same water, add pasta to cook. I am using lentil spaghetti. you can use any pasta that you like.
7)Cook pasta as per package directions.
8)Just before straining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid. We will use it later.
Make Broccoli Pesto Sauce
9)Now make the pesto sauce. Start by toasting the nuts. I used pine nuts so I toasted them dry on low heat until light golden. Set aside to cool completely.
10)Take broccoli and basil in a blender jar.
11)To the broccoli, basil leaves, add in garlic, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, red chilli flakes, salt.
12)Add in lemon juice.
13)Grind them till it is coarsely ground.
14)Now add in ¼ of the pasta cooking liquid, olive oil and make it into a smooth sauce.
15)Taste and adjust salt, lemon to your taste. Broccoli Pesto sauce is ready.
Broccoli pesto pasta
16)Strain the pasta and take it in a bowl. Add in as much pesto sauce as needed.
17)Pour little pasta cooking water and toss well. Let the pesto sauce coat each strands of pasta.
18)Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, extra parmesan cheese and red chilli flakes.
Expert Tips
Choosing Vegetables - This sauce is versatile, you can use variety of vegetables. Instead of using broccoli, you can use cauliflower or spinach too.
Adding protein - Cooked protein like chicken, prawns, tofu can be tossed in the pasta. You can toss leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken in the pasta.
Pick affordable nuts - If you don't have pine nuts, You can use almonds or cashews.
Reserve pasta water - When boiling pasta, make sure to reserve the pasta cooking liquid before straining. It is added when blending pesto sauce and also when tossing pasta into the sauce. The starchy cooking liquid helps emulsify the sauce which then clings to the pasta better.
Serving - Broccoli pesto sauce can be served as spread for sandwiches and toast. You can use it as dipping sauce as well.
Storage - You can make a batch of pesto and store in fridge upto a week. It stays fresh and vibrant.
FAQ
You can use cooking cauliflower, spinach, carrots, butternut squash or pumpkin in this recipe.
You can use vegan parmesan cheese. Or use a combination of 3 tablespoon cashew powder. 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast instead parmesan cheese.
Coriander leaves, cilantro can be used instead of basil leaves.
📖 Get Recipe
Broccoli Pesto Pasta Recipe (Broccoli Pasta Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cooking Pasta
- 150 grams Dry Spaghetti
- 2 litre Water
- 2 teaspoon Salt
For Broccoli pesto sauce
- 2 cups Broccoli cut into florets
- 3 tablespoon Pine nuts
- 1½ cup Basil Leaves
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Boil Water - Take water in a sauce pan, Bring lots of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
- Blanching Broccoli - Now add in broccoli into the hot water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the broccoli is tender and bright green colour. Strain using a slotted spoon and add it to a blender jar.
- Blanching Basil - Now in the same water, add in basil leaves. Blanch the basil for just 10 seconds. Strain it and add it into the blender jar with broccoli.
- Cooking Pasta - Now in the same water, add pasta to cook. Cook pasta as per package directions. Just before straining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid. We will use it later.
- Toasting nuts - dry toast pine nuts in a pan until lightly toasted and golden. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Broccoli Pesto Sauce - Now make the pesto sauce. To the broccoli, basil leaves, add in garlic, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, red chilli flakes, salt. Grind them till it is coarsely ground. Now add in ¼ of the pasta cooking liquid, olive oil and make it into a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust salt, lemon to your taste.
- Tossing Pasta - Strain the pasta and take it in a bowl. Add in as much pesto sauce as needed. Pour little pasta cooking water and toss well. Let the pesto sauce coat each strands of pasta. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, extra parmesan cheese and red chilli flakes.
Notes
- Instead of using broccoli, you can use cauliflower or spinach too.
- Cooked protein like chicken, prawns, tofu can be tossed in the pasta.
- You can use almonds instead of cashews.
- Use a good amount of parmesan cheese for flavour.
Nutrition
Tried this Recipe
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Anonymous
Oh I dint know Pesto could be made widout Basil leaves !!! Surprising