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Broccoli Pesto – Little Pine Kitchen


If you’re looking for an easy way to sneak broccoli into your meal plan without compromising on flavor, this broccoli pesto is for you! Everything you love about pesto is here: olive oil, garlic, lemon, pine nuts, basil, YUM! Toss it into noodles or dollop over chicken. Here’s what you need to know.

broccoli pesto recipe tossed in pasta with basil on top

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Similar to a classic pesto recipe, but with the addition of broccoli. Here’s what to collect for this broccoli pesto recipe.

  • From the fridge: Broccoli, basil, garlic, lemon juice, and parmesan.
  • From the pantry: Pine nuts, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.

Want to Tweak the Sauce?

Sure can! And it’s easy to do, just like any pesto recipe. To make this broccoli pasta sauce your way, consider:

  1. Adding more heat by sprinkling in more red pepper flakes.
  2. Trying a different nut, I’ve made pesto with pistachios, almonds, and walnuts before. All great options!
  3. Mix in more fresh herbs, although not traditional, you can always try adding a bit of mint or parsley.
broccoli pesto recipe with basil on top of pasta

How to Make Broccoli Pesto

Grab your food processor and toss everything in! Here’s how to get this flavor packed broccoli pesto on the table in a matter of minutes:

  1. Cook broccoli in boiling water.
  2. Add to a food processor.
  3. Add all other broccoli pasta sauce ingredients.
  4. Blend until smooth.
softened the broccoli for broccoli pasta sauce
broccoli pesto recipe in a food processor after everything has combined

Broccoli Pesto Pasta Tips

Using this broccoli pesto recipe to twirl into pasta? That’s a fantastic idea. Just one word of advice: Reserve 1 1/2 cups of your pasta water, and mix it into the pesto before adding it to 1 pound of pasta. This serves a few purposes:

  1. Pesto is thick, adding water will help thin the sauce so it better coats the noodles.
  2. Pasta water contains pasta starch, which will make this pesto even richer and more velvety.
  3. Pasta water has been salted, a welcomed addition to the broccoli pasta sauce.

Psst–depending on how salted your pasta water is, you may want to add more salt if using this recipe to make broccoli pesto pasta.

Best Ways to Use Broccoli Pasta Sauce (Beyond Pasta…)

On that note, there are so many ways to use the broccoli pesto recipe. Some of our favorites include:

broccoli pesto pasta in a bowl with basil on top

More Broccoli Recipes

broccoli pesto recipe tossed in pasta with basil on top

Broccoli Pesto

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Servings :6 servings

Instructions

  • Over high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and place the lid back on top, continue to cook for 4 minutes. Then using tongs or a slotted spoon, move broccoli to a large food processor or blender.

  • If making pasta, return water to a boil and cook pasta according to box instructions. Before draining, be sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water, this will help the pesto to coat the pasta noodles–add only as much water as needed.

  • To the food processor, add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, parmesan, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth. Use as a dip, on toast, or for pasta, and enjoy!

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Nutrition

Calories: 629kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 44gProtein: 27gFat: 48gSodium: 545mgFiber: 32gSugar: 3gNet Carbs: 12g

©Little Pine Low Carb. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.


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