Broccoli Pesto Pasta is one of the most flavour-packed vegetarian pasta recipes . An easy and healthy dinner your whole family will love!
- All About Pesto
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Broccoli Pesto
- FAQs Related to Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- Storage Suggestion
- Broccoli Pesto Pasta
This Broccoli Pesto Pasta is one of my favourite food hacks. Why? Because it’s
- super easy to make
- and loaded with amazing fresh flavour (thanks to the basil and garlic)
- packed full of nutrition from the broccoli!
- easy to transform into a vegan and gluten-free dish
Try my healthy, creamy broccoli soup , stir-fried broccoli , or the air fryer malai broccoli tikka if you love broccoli. It’s pretty amazing too!
What we have here is a time-saving , healthy vegetarian meal ! To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than having an easy, nutritious, filling meal on the table in less than half an hour!
All About Pesto
Pesto, a.k.a. pesto alla Genovese , is a popular Italian sauce in Genoa.
To make basil pesto , traditionally, you crush basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and parmesan cheese with a mortar and pestle and then mix the crushed paste with olive oil to create the sauce.
Today, pesto has endless varieties: sun-dried tomato, walnut, vegan , and even avocado ! My new take on pesto is adding one of my favourite super green vegetables: broccoli.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Broccoli adds volume and extra nutrition to this vivid, green sauce.
- Herbs: Basil is the foundation of pesto – it’s where pesto gets most of its flavour, along with the garlic cloves and seasoning.
- Walnuts: The walnuts provide an added crunch and a boost in protein.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The olive oil makes the paste into a sauce and adds fat to make it more filling and tasty.
- Cheese: The cheddar cheese adds a zing to the pesto sauce, and extra parmesan on top completely elevates the flavour.
- Pasta: I use regular spaghetti in this pasta recipe, but feel free to substitute it with gluten-free pasta!
How To Make Broccoli Pesto
- Blanch broccoli in hot water for 5 – 6 minutes. Set aside until it cools down completely.
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to form a coarse pesto.
Yes! Just skip the cheese altogether, or add vegan cheese.
Yes, much like the vegan option, skip the cheese! You can add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour, but it tastes great either way.
To make this Broccoli Pesto Pasta gluten-free, switch the pasta for a gluten-free alternative. We are lucky to have so many varieties today: regular gluten-free, lentil pasta, veggie pasta, and edamame pasta, to name a few!
Storage Suggestion
Fridge: After the pasta has completely cooled, store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing pasta, but the pesto sauce will freeze well! Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
However, the colour of the pesto sauce turns grey or deep green after freezing or storing it in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. Hence, it is best to eat this pasta warm and fresh.
More Pasta Recipes
- Pasta Chips
- Pumpkin Pasta
- Fusilli Pasta Caprese
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Pasta Soup (Minestrone)
- Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Classic Tomato Sauce Pasta
- Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
- Stir Fry Pasta With Vegetables
- Whole Wheat White Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients For Pesto:
- ▢ 2 Cup broccoli florets
- ▢ ½ Cup fresh basil leaves
- ▢ 6 garlic pods
- ▢ ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ ¼ Cup walnuts
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ ¼ Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
- ▢ ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Other Ingredients:
- ▢ 400 gram dry spaghetti
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ ½ Cup sun-dried tomato or cherry tomato
Ingredients For Serving:
- ▢ ¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare Pesto:
- Blanch broccoli in hot water for 5 – 6 minutes. Set aside to cool down completely.
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse pesto.
Boil Pasta:
- Boil spaghetti al dente or as per your liking. Reserve ½ Cup boiled pasta water.
- Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Add pasta, sun-dried tomato and toss for 10 – 20 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add broccoli pesto. Toss pasta gently in the pesto sauce. If the consistency seems too thick add reserved boiled pasta water and get the desired consistency.
- Serve broccoli pesto pasta warm topped with grated cheese and a toasted slice of bread.
Recipe Notes:
- To make this pasta gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
- For vegan pasta use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, but it tastes great either way.
- I don’t recommend freezing pasta, but the pesto sauce will freeze well! Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Ingredients For Pesto:
- 2 Cup broccoli florets
- ½ Cup fresh basil leaves
- 6 garlic pods
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ Cup walnuts
- Salt to taste
- ¼ Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Other Ingredients:
- 400 gram dry spaghetti
- Salt to taste
- ½ Cup sun-dried tomato or cherry tomato
Ingredients For Serving:
- ¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare Pesto:
- Blanch broccoli in hot water for 5 - 6 minutes. Set aside to cool down completely.
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse pesto.
Boil Pasta:
- Boil spaghetti al dente or as per your liking. Reserve ½ Cup boiled pasta water.
- Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Add pasta, sun-dried tomato and toss for 10 - 20 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add broccoli pesto. Toss pasta gently in the pesto sauce. If the consistency seems too thick add reserved boiled pasta water and get the desired consistency.
- Serve broccoli pesto pasta warm topped with grated cheese and a toasted slice of bread.
Notes
- To make this pasta gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
- For vegan pasta use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, but it tastes great either way.
- I don’t recommend freezing pasta, but the pesto sauce will freeze well! Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This hearty Indian chana masala curry, traditionally made with dried chickpeas, can be conveniently prepared with canned chickpeas without compromising flavour in 30 minutes.
- About Indian Chana Curry
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Chana Masala
- Serving Suggestion
- My Tried and True Tips
- Chana Masala Curry Recipe
About Indian Chana Curry
Indian cuisine, known for its vibrant flavours and aromatic spices, boasts an array of delicious and nutritious dishes. Among these, chana masala stands out as one of the most popular vegetarian main courses. We make different variations of chana curry at least once every week either with spinach ( chana saag ) or with loads of spices truly Delhi-style chana masala .
Chana Masala is not just a dish; it’s an experience that brings the essence of North Indian style cooking to your kitchen – also known as chole or chana curry . It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a protein-packed vegetarian meal.
You can find more easy and tasty instant pot friendly curry recipes in my debut cookbook The 100 Best Curries for your Instant Pot .
Recipe Highlights :
- vegan
- gluten-free
- one pot recipe
- no nuts or sugar
- meal prep friendly
- requires basic cooking skills
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chickpeas , you can make this chana masala recipe with canned or pre-cooked chickpeas. But if you like, you can soak dried chickpeas and use them to make the curry.
- Red Onion – chop it finely so that it melds into the rich sauce.
- Use ginger and garlic paste . You can finely chop fresh ginger and garlic, or grate them. It gives them a fine, paste-like texture that helps release flavour into the curry.
- Cumin seeds – add a wonderful depth of flavour to this curry recipe.
- Ground Spices – Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Garam Masala – an aromatic Indian spice blend.
- Canned diced tomatoes give the bright red colour and the sauciness to the curry. You can add finely chopped ripe, red, juicy fresh tomatoes also.
- For cooking use coconut oil, ghee or neutral-tasting vegetable oil .
- Cilantro – mix some into the chana masala and sprinkle more on top for garnish.
- Fresh lemon juice to balance the heat of spices.
- Sliced Green Chillies for that extra spicy kick.
How To Make Chana Masala
Prep Chickpeas (Chana):
- Begin by draining and rinsing the canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water. This helps remove excess sodium and any preservatives used in the canning process.
- Let them sit on a colander. Gently pat with a kitchen paper towel.
Cooking the Curry Base :
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. This process takes about 5 – 6 minutes and is crucial for developing the base flavour of the curry.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, ground spices except garam masala, salt, and diced tomatoes.
- Sauté for an additional 2 – 3 minutes until the curry masala base comes together.
Introduce Chickpeas :
- Once the curry base is well-cooked, add the rinsed chickpeas to the pot.
- Stir to coat the chickpeas evenly with the spiced tomato mixture.
- Pour in the water. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. This allows the chickpeas to absorb the flavours of the spices. If the curry becomes too thick, add more water or coconut milk to get the desired consistency.
Finishing Touches :
After simmering, check the seasoning of the chana curry and adjust salt or spice levels as needed. Add the garam masala, sliced green chillies (optional), lemon juice, and half of the chopped coriander, and stir well.
Serving Suggestion
Chana Masala Curry is a hearty, wholesome, and vegetarian Indian main course dish. Serve it with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice , peas pulao or soft, pillowy naan bread .
To serve a complete Indian meal accompany it with side dishes like mint raita , kachumber salad or sliced onions, and chutney .
My Tried and True Tips
- Spiciness: This is a medium to high spicy curry. If you are not comfortable with the heat of spices, add a splash of thick coconut milk towards the end or reduce the quantity of ground spices.
- Consistency : Adjust the thickness of the curry by varying the amount of water. For a thicker curry, simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce the liquid.
- Acidity Balance : The lemon juice at the end brightens the flavour and balances the spice’s heat. If you like a hint of sweetness, add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- The garam masala is always added towards the end , to impart a deep, complex flavour to the curry.
More Indian Curry Recipes
- Paneer Curry
- Potato Curry
- Chicken Curry
- Cauliflower Curry
- Veg Keema Curry
- Mughlai Egg Curry
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 can (approx 400g) chickpeas (chana)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon vegetable refined oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ▢ 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste ( get recipe )
- ▢ ½ Cup canned diced tomatoes
- ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cooking salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 ¼ Cup water
- ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ( get recipe )
- ▢ 2 green chillies sliced (optional)
- ▢ handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Begin by draining and rinsing the canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water. This helps remove excess sodium and any preservatives used in the canning process.
- Let them sit on a colander. Gently pat with a kitchen paper towel.
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. This process takes about 5 – 6 minutes and is crucial for developing the base flavour of the curry.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, ground spices except garam masala, salt, and diced tomatoes. Sauté for an additional 2 – 3 minutes until the curry masala base comes together.
- Once the curry base is well-cooked, add the rinsed chickpeas to the pot. Stir to coat the chickpeas evenly with the spiced tomato mixture.
- Pour in the water. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. This allows the chickpeas to absorb the flavours of the spices. If the curry becomes too thick, add more water or coconut milk to get the desired consistency.
- After simmering, check the seasoning of the chana curry and adjust salt or spice levels as needed. Add the garam masala, sliced green chillies (optional), lemon juice, and half of the chopped coriander, and stir well.
- Serve chana masala curry with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice , peas pulao or soft, pillowy naan bread .
Recipe Notes:
- For cooking the chana curry you can use refined oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
- Canned or pre cooked chickpeas are fine for making this Indian curry.
- Instead of canned diced tomatoes you can use freshly chopped ripe, red juicy tomatoes also. They will give a better taste to the curry.
- If you are not comfortable with the heat of spices, add a splash of thick coconut milk towards the end or reduce the quantity of ground spices.
- The lemon juice and Garam Masala are always added towards the end and not while cooking the curry.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
