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–+ servings
Broccoli pasta in a bowl.
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4.60 from 5 votes

Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pasta

This roasted broccoli pesto is an easy vegetarian sauce for pasta with pine nuts, lemon, Parmesan and garlic. Stir it into a bowl of penne pasta.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small to medium broccoli florets
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 8 ounces penne pasta

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Toss the broccoli with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and spread it across on a sheet pan in a single layer.
  • Roast the broccoli until it is crisp-tender and starting to brown at the edges, about 10-12 minutes.
  • For the pesto, finely chop 1 cup roasted broccoli, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. With the motor running, pour in 1/2 cup olive oil through the feeder tube, processing the mixture until it is fully combined.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
  • In a large bowl, stir the pesto into the pasta. Then fold in the remaining roasted broccoli. Add a little cooking water as needed to help the pesto coat the noodles. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup.
  • Divide into serving bowls or onto plates and top with additional parmesan as desired.

Notes

You can make the broccoli pesto up to 2 days in advance. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and stir it. Store the pesto in an airtight container and the roasted broccoli in another separate container. Warm the broccoli in a 350-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes before assembling this pasta.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Warm it in the microwave. The broccoli will lose some of its crunch and the pasta will soften. Or eat it cold as a pasta salad, adding baby arugula or spinach.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 574mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 767IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 2mg