Add a bowl of tomato panzanella salad to start this tasty vegetarian meal!
Pesto Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon
I’m a big fan of pesto pasta, so when I saw Gaby’s version in her new book Eat What You Want (affiliate link), I was game! This broccoli pesto pasta is exactly what it sounds like. A wholesome broccoli pasta, loaded with basil pesto deliciousness and a big, bright splash of lemon! The broccoli blends in as part of the tasty pesto; even picky eaters won’t object! The flavors in this pesto pasta recipe will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible! And it’s pretty easy to make. Best part, this recipe makes extra broccoli pesto that you can freeze for later use! (I know a bunch of meal prep mavens who can appreciate this).
Ingredients & Prep
You can think of this recipe as having two main components: the broccoli pesto, which uses up most of the ingredients, and the pasta. Here’s what you’ll need:
Broccoli- You can use 1 head of broccoli cut into stems and florets or about 12 ounces of frozen broccoli (I used frozen, and you do not need to thaw it before cooking). Pine nuts- 6 tablespoons of pine nuts (you’ll use most of this to make the pesto and some to garnish). To toast the pine nuts, put them in a skillet (no oil needed) and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan often and stirring the pine nuts with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Parmesan Cheese- 3 cups of quality granted Parmesan. Some will be used in the pesto, and some to coat the pasta and to garnish. (Oops forgot to include this one in the photo above, but it’s an important ingredient)! Parmesan is naturally low in lactose, but if you’d like a fully dairy free option you can substitute with this vegan Carrot Top Pesto. Fresh Basil Leaves- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (about 80 grams) Lemon zest and juice- Zest and juice of 2 lemons, plus more zest for garnish. I love the extra zing from fresh lemon here! Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 1 cup quality extra virgin olive oil to use for the broccoli pesto. (Find the olive oils I use at our shop here). Pasta- 1 pound of short pasta of your choice (and if you’re planning on a Mediterranean diet dinner, go for a whole wheat pasta)
How to Make Pesto Pasta
Tips and notes for pesto pasta recipe
Since the star in this recipe is really the broccoli pesto, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Use cold water to wash the basil. Basil bruises easily so don’t wash it in warm water. Be sure to dry it well before using in the pesto sauce. A salad spinner can help or just wrap the basil leaves up in paper towels till nice and dry. Do not skip the lemon in making the broccoli pesto. Not all pesto sauces call for lemon but I think it’s a key ingredient in this recipe. Lemon zest and juice brighten up the flavor and compliment the broccoli very well. And because lemon juice contains antioxidants citric and ascorbic acids, it helps keep the basil pesto from turning dark. Do not toss the pesto pasta on the stove. Once the pasta is ready, and you’ve coated it with a bit of Parmesan cheese as listed in the recipe, remove it from the heat completely. Add the pesto in once the pot has been removed from heat, this will help keep the color nice and bright (remember, basil can turn dark). What do you do with the extra broccoli pesto? This recipe makes a generous amount of lemon broccoli pesto. You will end up using 1/2 or a little bit more of the pesto you make. Save the rest in the freezer in an air-tight container or jar to use when you have a craving for this broccoli pasta.
What nuts can be used in pesto?
Pine nuts are traditionally used in making pesto, but they can be expensive and less available than other nuts. If you need to replace the pine nuts, you can try shelled walnuts or blanched whole almonds or slivered almonds.
Which pasta is best with pesto?
With my homemade pasta sauce, I tend to use spaghetti. And I’ll use spaghetti with pesto pasta as well. But for this recipe, I thought I’d change things up and use a pasta that’s short and curvy pasta like fusilli or rotini. Because they’re short, they’re easy to toss with the broccoli pesto sauce and their curves hold on to as much of it as possible so you get the perfect bite every time. But really, you can play around with your choice of pasta. More pasta? Try Pasta Primavera or my Simple Olive Oil Pasta. And if you love broccoli, try this amazing crispy oven roasted broccoli! You may also enjoy 50+ Top Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST HERE. SHOP OUR ONLINE STORE FOR QUALITY OLIVE OILS, ALL-NATURAL SPICES AND MORE. 4.9 from 14 reviews
