Broccoli Pesto Pasta is one of the most delicious ways to eat broccoli. This flavour-packed vegetarian pasta recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes. An easy and healthy dinner your whole family will love!
This Broccoli Pesto Pasta is one of my favourite food hacks. Why? Because it’s
- super easy to make
- and loaded with amazing fresh flavour (thanks to the basil and garlic)
- packed full of nutrition from the broccoli!
- easy to transform into a vegan and gluten-free dish
Try my healthy, creamy broccoli soup or the air fryer malai broccoli tikka if you love broccoli. It’s pretty amazing too!
What we have here is a time-saving, healthy vegetarian meal! To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than having an easy, nutritious, filling meal on the table in less than half an hour!
All About Pesto
Pesto, a.k.a. pesto alla Genovese, is a popular Italian sauce in Genoa.
To make basil pesto, traditionally, you crush basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and parmesan cheese with a mortar and pestle and then mix the crushed paste with olive oil to create the sauce.
Today, pesto has endless varieties: sun-dried tomato, walnut, vegan, and even avocado! My new take on pesto is adding one of my favourite super green vegetables: broccoli.
Ingredients Required
- Broccoli adds volume and extra nutrition to this vivid, green sauce.
- Herbs: Basil is the foundation of pesto – it’s where pesto gets most of its flavour, along with the garlic cloves and seasoning.
- Walnuts: The walnuts provide an added crunch and a boost in protein.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The olive oil makes the paste into a sauce and adds fat to make it more filling and tasty.
- Cheese: The cheddar cheese adds a zing to the pesto sauce, and extra parmesan on top completely elevates the flavour.
- Pasta: I use regular spaghetti in this pasta recipe, but feel free to substitute it with gluten-free pasta!
How To Make Broccoli Pesto
- Blanch broccoli in hot water for 5 – 6 minutes. Set aside until it cools down completely.
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to form a coarse pesto.
FAQs Related to Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Yes! Just skip the cheese altogether, or add vegan cheese.
Yes, much like the vegan option, skip the cheese! You can add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour, but it tastes great either way.
To make this Broccoli Pesto Pasta gluten-free, switch the pasta for a gluten-free alternative. We are lucky to have so many varieties today: regular gluten-free, lentil pasta, veggie pasta, and edamame pasta, to name a few!
Storage Suggestion
Fridge: After the pasta has completely cooled, store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing pasta, but the pesto sauce will freeze well! Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
However, the colour of the pesto sauce turns grey or deep green after freezing or storing it in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. Hence, it is best to eat this pasta warm and fresh.
More Pasta Recipes
Stir Fry Pasta With Vegetables
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Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- Food Processor
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Ingredients For Pesto:
- 2 Cup broccoli florets
- ½ Cup fresh basil leaves
- 6 garlic pods
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ Cup walnuts
- Salt to taste
- ¼ Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Other Ingredients:
- 400 gram dry spaghetti
- Salt to taste
- ½ Cup sun-dried tomato or cherry tomato
Ingredients For Serving:
- ¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare Pesto:
- Blanch broccoli in hot water for 5 – 6 minutes. Set aside to cool down completely.
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse pesto.
Boil Pasta:
- Boil spaghetti al dente or as per your liking. Reserve ½ Cup boiled pasta water.
- Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Add pasta, sun-dried tomato and toss for 10 – 20 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add broccoli pesto. Toss pasta gently in the pesto sauce. If the consistency seems too thick add reserved boiled pasta water and get the desired consistency.
- Serve broccoli pesto pasta warm topped with grated cheese and a toasted slice of bread.
Recipe Notes:
- To make this pasta gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
- For vegan pasta use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, but it tastes great either way.
- I don’t recommend freezing pasta, but the pesto sauce will freeze well! Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
viji RAJENDRAN says
Your pesto pasta dish sounds simple and yummilicious Can’t wait for the lockdown to lift to buy the ingredients ????.But enjoy just reading and viewing your food posts .Keep going lady!!
Hina Gujral says
Thank You So Much! I am sure your family would love it.