Recipe Courtesy of FiT Trainers

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

A quick and filling pesto pasta recipe for the whole family! This is a great alternative to normal marinara sauce and your pesto can be stored and used for the next week.

Difficulty: Easy

Total Time: 30 minutes

Active: 15 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

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Ingredients:

4 cups Broccoli Florets
1 pound of your favorite pasta
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves
3 garlic cloves – smashed
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for topping

– It is also great topped with grilled chicken, so don’t be afraid to add some of that!

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil
Add broccoli to the boiling water and cook 3-4 mins until it is bright green (blanched)
Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a bowl or blender
Return the pot to the heat and return to a boil. Add pasta to the water and cook until desired tenderness
Strain the pasta, but reserve 1-½ cups of the pasta water
Add the basil, garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts), olive oil, salt and parmesan to the blender with the broccoli and blend until smooth. Slowly pour in the reserved pasta water a little at a time, until desired sauce consistency forms, about 1 cup normally does it.
Mix with hot pasta, top with parmesan and serve!