Broccoli Pesto Pasta Recipe

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

Instead of basil, we use broccoli as the base of this broccoli pesto pasta recipe, but it is still made with some basil, as well as toasted walnuts like a classic pesto.

If you don't have a food processor, you can still make this sauce. After all, Italian grandmothers back in the day didn't have one either. You can either use a mortar and pestle to crush down the ingredients in batches, or finely chop it all up by hand.

Food processor or not, the secret to the vibrant color of this broccoli pesto is blanching the broccoli. Don't skip transferring the cooked broccoli from the boiling water to an ice bath; it stops the cooking process and will preserve the vegetable's bright green color.

Learn how to make broccoli pesto pasta. While delicious served warm out of the skillet, this dish can also be eaten as a cold pasta salad for lunch.

Ingredients for Broccoli Pesto Pasta

This vibrant dish with blanched broccoli, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, and toasted walnuts in the mix is everything you want a good pasta dish to be: savory, cheesy, fresh, and balanced. To make broccoli pesto pasta, you'll need:

Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the cooking water to cook the broccoli and pasta.
Broccoli florets: The highlighted ingredient of the dish, adding color, nutrients, and flavor to the pesto.
Orecchiette pasta: Small, cup-like pasta shapes that catch and hold the pesto.
Fresh basil: For a fresh, classic pesto addition.
Parmesan cheese: Adds a cheesy, umami-rich flavor to the dish.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Thins the pesto for the right consistency.
Fresh lemon juice: Brightens and balances the pesto.
Garlic cloves: Adds a savory depth.
Toasted walnuts: For a nutty, earthy flavor that grounds the dish.
Black pepper: Adds a hint of peppery spice.

How To Make Broccoli Pesto Pasta

A saucepan and a food processor is all you'll need to bring this impressive dish together. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Cook broccoli: Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; add salt. Add broccoli and cook until tender. Transfer broccoli to the ice water bath, then drain well.
Step 2. Cook pasta: Bring water back to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Return pasta to saucepan.
Step 3. Prepare pesto: Chop broccoli. Add to food processor along with basil, Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, garlic, some walnuts, and remaining salt. Pulse to create a coarse pesto.
Step 4. Combine and garnish: Add pesto, remaining broccoli, and reserved cooking water to pasta; heat through. Top with remaining walnuts, basil, Parmesan, and pepper.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta Variations

To change up this broccoli pesto pasta to suit your tastes or use up what you have on hand, consider these variation ideas:

Veggies: Add sun-dried tomatoes, peas, spinach, or cherry tomatoes for additional flavor and color.
Orecchiette pasta: Substitute with any pasta shape you prefer, including penne, fusille, rotini, and more.
Protein: Bulk up the dish by adding sauteed shrimp, grilled chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken.
Nuts: Swap the walnuts with toasted pine nuts, almonds, or cashews.
Parmesan cheese: Swap with Pecorino Romano, Asiago cheese, or nutritional yeast for a vegan option.

Can I Make Broccoli Pesto Pasta Ahead?

Broccoli pesto pasta can be made in advance and refrigerated, to enjoy either cold or reheated later in the week. Prepare the dish up to two days ahead, then cool, cover, or transfer to an airtight container. When you're ready to serve, you can reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to loosen the texture.

How To Store Leftover Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Leftover broccoli pesto pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to adjust the consistency. You can also enjoy the leftovers cold, especially if bringing to a picnic or as a quick lunch item on a hot summer day.

What To Serve With Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Pair this fresh and colorful pasta with garlic bread for a light lunch or dinner option. You can also round out the meal by pairing with a protein, from grilled chicken, sausages, or shrimp, to pan-seared salmon.

More Pesto Dinner Recipes You'll Love

Pesto is a vibrant green sauce that's a beloved Italian staple for good reason. Mixed into pasta, spread onto paninis, or even baked into lasagna, it's a flavor we guarantee you'll love:

Ingredients

1 Tbsp., plus 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
6 cups small fresh broccoli florets (16 oz.)
1 (16-oz.) pkg. orecchiette pasta
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (from 2 [2-oz.] pkg.), coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup), plus shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (1 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped and divided
Black pepper

Directions

Cook broccoli:

Fill a large bowl with water and ice; set aside. Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high; stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt. Add broccoli; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to ice water, and let cool for 30 seconds; drain well. Set aside.
Cook pasta:

Return water in saucepan to a boil over medium-high. Add pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to saucepan; set aside.
Make broccoli pesto:

Coarsely chop 3 cups broccoli. Place chopped broccoli, basil, Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 cup of the walnuts, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in bowl of a food processor; pulse until a coarse pesto is achieved, about 30 pulses, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Combine pesto, pasta, and remaining ingredients:

Add pesto, remaining 3 cups broccoli, and reserved 1/2 cup cooking water to pasta in saucepan; cook over medium-low, stirring often, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Top evenly with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts; garnish with basil, Parmesan, and pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other types of pasta with broccoli pesto?

Feel free to substitute the orecchiette with any pasta shape you prefer, including fusilli, rotini, penne, and more.
Do you add pesto to hot or cold pasta?

Pesto can be used to coat hot or cold pasta, but for this recipe, it's heated through with freshly-cooked pasta.
Why add pasta water to pesto?

Pasta water can help emulsify the sauce, as well as adjust the consistency of the pesto to coat the pasta.