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Broccoli Pesto

Spaghettini with Broccoli Pesto

Full of hidden vegetables and a great vegetarian dish
5 from 3 votes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course pasta
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 500 gm Spaghettini or your favourite pasta, 1 lb
  • 200 gm onion fine dice
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 300 gm broccoli including stem finely chopped
  • 3 or 4 button mushrooms sliced fine not dark field mushrooms
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 50 ml Chicken stock / broth
  • 100 ml cream
  • 100 ml pasta water
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 50 gm grated parmesan and a bit extra for flavouring
  • 25 ml lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 50 gm pinenuts
  • 125 ml olive oil for adding to the pesto

Instructions
 

  • Put a well salted pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
  • Heat another wide bottomed pot and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped onion and garlic. Soften the onion then add the chopped broccoli and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and toss without colouring till heated through.
  • Add the stock and put the lid on and let the vegetables cook till just soft. Take off the heat and cool.
  • Put the broccolli in a food processor with the parsley, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, 1/2 the lemon juice and zest and 1/2 of the olive oil. Blitz this mixture to break up a little.
  • This mixture doesn't need to be a puree so pulse it to keep texture.
  • Put the pesto into skillet or frypan and add the pasta water and cream. Add the pesto and more lemon juice and salt and pepper.extra seasoning. Drain the pasta saving a 1/4 cup and add to the pesto. Mix well with tongs.
  • Serve the pasta with extra parmesan Add more whole pinenuts if you want a crunchy texture