Healthy Pesto Tomato and Broccoli Pasta
Try this Healthy Pesto Tomato and Broccoli Pasta recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Healthy Pesto Tomato and Broccoli Pasta recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup pasta water
- 2 cups whole wheat or gluten free any shape pasta uncooked
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp pesto divided (organic or all natural)
- 2 cups grape tomatoes cut in halves
- 4 cups small broccoli florets
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/8 tsp or more red pepper flakes
- Carbohydrate 47.3716592971665 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 15.97030415639 g
- Fiber 15.1525190900535 g
- Protein 15.385638884337 g
- Saturated Fat 2.17463086434145 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (681g)
- Sodium 507.316599158939 mg
- Sugar 32.219140207113 g
- Trans Fat 1.68891562735471 g
- Calories 349 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta as per package instructions, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, get all ingredients ready.
- Preheat large deep skillet on medium heat and add olive oil and garlic.
- Saute for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 tbsp pesto, tomatoes and stir.
- Cook for 1 - 2 minutes and stir again.
- Cook another 1 - 2 minutes.
- Move to one side of the skillet and make sure the empty side of is positioned directly over heat.
- Add 1 tbsp pesto and broccoli, stir and cook for 4 minutes, stirring once.
- Remove skillet from heat and add remaining 1/4 cup pesto, sun dried tomatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, pasta and pasta water.
- Stir gently and let flavours marinate for a few minutes.
- Do not cover because broccoli will become a mushy mess.
- I also like to add half Parmesan cheese in this step and the other half right before serving.
- Serve hot.
Home cooks frequently boil broccoli until it loses its structural integrity and turns a dull, olive-drab green. That breakdown happens when cellular walls rupture under prolonged heat, releasing organic acids that react with chlorophyll. Avoiding that chemical degradation requires careful monitoring of color and texture rather than relying solely on a kitchen timer.
Reading Doneness Without a Thermometer
Visual cues guide the entire cooking process in this dish. Sautéing minced garlic in extra virgin olive oil for 30 seconds releases volatile aromatic compounds without scorching the sulfur molecules, which turns bitter past 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grape tomatoes are ready when their skins pucker and split, indicating internal moisture has expanded enough to burst the outer cuticle. Broccoli florets require precisely four minutes in direct contact with the skillet base to achieve bright emerald vibrancy while retaining a crisp snap at the core. Leaving the skillet uncovered during the final resting phase prevents steam from condensing and softening the vegetables further. Reserve exactly one cup of starchy pasta water before draining the pasta. Starch molecules suspended in this water bind the oily pesto emulsion to the wheat surfaces effectively.
- If the sauce appears too thick, add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture coats the back of a spoon smoothly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though reheating may slightly dull the bright green chlorophyll in the broccoli.
- Pair this pasta with a crisp, high-acidity white wine like Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the rich fats present in the Parmesan cheese and olive oil.
