Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Give your pasta a healthy twist with this raw broccoli pesto, flavored with just a few simple ingredients and a drizzle of pesto olive oil.

COOK TIME	10
PREP TIME	5

SKILL LEVEL	Easy
SERVES	4

We recommend…

PESTO FLAVORED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Add a fresh, aromatic taste to this recipe by using our basil pesto extra virgin olive oil.

INGREDIENTS

For the broccoli pesto:

1 / small broccoli crown, separated into florets (about 2 cups)
1 clove / garlic
¼ cup / pine nuts
¼ cup / Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
¼ cup / basil leaves
½ / lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon / salt (or more to taste)
¼ teaspoon / red hot chili flakes (optional)
6 tablespoons / Zucchi Pesto-Flavored EVOO

For the pasta

1 pound / pasta of choice (casarecce, fusilli, and linguine are all nice choices)

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the broccoli pesto:
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the broccoli pesto and process until smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning and thickness. If you’d like a thinner pesto, add a bit more Zucchi Pesto Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Note: this is a recipe for raw broccoli pesto, so you do not need to cook the broccoli first.

To assemble the pesto pasta:
Cook the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions, or until al dente. Save about ½ cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining the pasta.

In a big bowl, mix the cooked pasta, ½ cup cooking liquid, and the broccoli pesto. Stir well, until all the pasta is coated in pesto. Serve with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano and toasted pine nuts for texture.