30 minutes
Dive into the fresh, vibrant flavors of this Pasta with Broccoli Pesto. This dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special meal, combines the comforting, chewy texture of al dente pasta with a bright, homemade broccoli pesto. With a finishing touch of lemon zest, it's a plate full of color, flavor, and joy. This recipe is also a great way to incorporate a hidden serving of vegetables into a meal for kids.
0 oz
Broccoli, Cut into florets
cups
Garlic, Peeled
cloves
Parmesan Cheese, grated
cups
Pecorino, grated
cups
Pine Nuts, Toasted
cups
Lemon, Zested
each
1. Blanch Veg
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, using about a tablespoon of salt per quart of water, add the broccoli and blanch for about 2-3 minutes or until it's tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the water, and plunge the broccoli into ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, thoroughly drain the broccoli on paper towels before making the pesto.
2. Make Pesto
In a food processor, pulse the cooled, drained broccoli, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, lemon zest, toasted pine nuts and a pinch of salt until coarsely chopped. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil to create a smooth pesto. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
3. Cook Pasta
In the same pot of boiling water, add the orecchiette and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.
4. Sauce Pasta
Add the drained pasta to a pan with 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and continue to cook and stir. Once the water is about 80% reduced, remove the pan from the heat and add a small amount of the pesto, stirring vigorously to start the emulsion. Stir in the rest of the pesto and keep stirring to maintain the emulsion. Work quickly as this pesto can turn brown if held hot for too long.
5. Serve
Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Plate and serve
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