10. Pesto Broccoli Orecchiette

You can cut the prep time of this drastically by just buying commercial pesto. Usually, for 5 servings as below, you may need 2 jars of pesto. Just be careful of the salt levels, as commercial pestos are quite salty.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Blend garlic and oil in a blender until smooth. Then add pine nuts (if not roasted these can be toasted in a small non-stick fry pan) and blend again until smooth. Add basil and grated parmesan and blend until it’s a pleasing pesto texture. Add sea salt to taste, and more olive oil if needed.

Step 2

Cook pasta in salted boiling water for a total of 1 minute less than packet instructions.

Step 3

Meanwhile, fry onion in a further tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan until translucent.

Step 4

2 minutes prior to finishing pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water.

Step 5

Scoop 100ml of pasta water from the pot, and drain pasta and broccoli together.

Step 6

Add the pasta and broccoli to the sautéed onion, and add the pesto and the reserved pasta water and cook together for a further 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and zest, and combine. Season with plenty of fresh cracked pepper, and serve.