Pasta with Broccoli Pesto

 

This is what I like to call dinner on the fly! It practically takes as long to make as the pasta takes to cook!  My kind of meal. 

My kids have been such picky eaters lately that things have been pretty simple around here.  I remembered I had pinned this recipe about 5 minutes before I started making it. My kids are pretty good about eating pasta, as long as it's pretty plain, and broccoli is one of our go-to veggies, so this is pretty much a win-win right!!

I love that this is so simple yet tasty! I'm thinking we need to bring this to the dinner table a little more often!

Pasta with Broccoli Pesto
1 lb broccoli (about 2 large crowns)
1/2 lb. pasta (I used bow ties)
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (can substitute greek yogurt, or canned coconut milk)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
grated parmesan cheese

If you are super short on time, bring two pots of water to a boil, one for the broccoli and one for the pasta.  Otherwise you can cook the broccoli first in the same water used to cook the pasta. 

Chop broccoli into florets, including stalks.  Use a vegetable peeler to shave off the outer skin of the stalk.  Toss in boiling water and cook only about 3-4 minutes, until fork tender. If using two pots, toss the pasta at the same time, otherwise, remove broccoli and drop pasta and cook according to package directions.

Drain broccoli and return pot to stove.  Add olive oil and saute onion until tender and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic, red pepper and broccoli the last 30 seconds of cooking.  Transfer mixture to a blender and pulse until desired consistency, adding cream as needed.  You can also add some pasta water to thin it out a bit, but not too much.

Return mixture to pot and simmer another 2-3 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Drain cooked pasta and pour into a large serving dish.  Add broccoli sauce over and toss to coat evenly.  Grate parmesan cheese over the top for serving.


SOURCE: Annie's Eats