Broccoli Pesto Pasta by Weird & Ravenous

A classic family favorite, pasta with pesto gets the Weird & Ravenous reinvention treatment.  Brown rice pasta becomes indistinguishable from its white flour cousin when it’s coated with this rich pesto that’s been made luxuriously smooth with pureed broccoli in place of most of the oil.  Both familiar and healthy, this one-pot meal is likely to become part of your repertoire.

Ingredients

• 1 head of organic broccoli
• ½ packed cup organic basil leaves
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup organic walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 8 oz of organic brown rice pasta (we like a penne)
• Grated Parmesan for serving

Directions

Chop the broccoli into small florets. Boil a large pot of water and add the broccoli. Blanch the broccoli until it is bright green and a bit soft, about 2 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the broccoli to a plate being sure to reserve the water.

Place one cup of broccoli in the blender and set the rest aside.  Add the basil, garlic and walnuts to the blender. Pour in the olive oil and start the blender on low. Increase the speed and let the pesto get going. Add ¼ cup of water if necessary and a generous pinch of salt.

Boil the reserved broccoli water and add the pasta. Let it cook for around 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the pasta to make sure it doesn’t get too soft. We like ours a bit al dente.

Turn off the heat and drain the pasta in a colander. Empty the pasta back into the pot and stir in the pesto, evenly coating the pasta.  Stir in the broccoli.

Serve with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan. Your kids will thank you for it.

~ Cleo Brock-Abraham + Julia Turshen of Weird & Ravenous

Cleo and Julia are the two best friends behind Weird & Ravenous, a production company that makes fresh content about food and the relationships it inspires. With a careful understanding of the many factors that go into preparing a meaningful meal, Weird & Ravenous is stirring the pot.