BROCCOLI PESTO

Broccoli Pesto image

You can use this bright mixture as a dip, a spread or a sauce with pasta.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 20m

Yield 1 1/4 cups

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1/2 pound broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, peeled, green shoots removed
1 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 ounces (1/3 to 1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan, or a mixture of pecorino Romano and Parmesan, to taste

Steps:

Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes, until very tender but still bright. Remove from the heat, rinse and drain on paper towels.
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is minced and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the broccoli and the basil to the machine and turn on. When contents are finely chopped, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn on the machine again and drizzle in the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the grated cheese, and process until well blended.
Transfer to a bowl and serve as a dip, spread or sauce with pasta. If serving with pasta, this amount will be plenty for a pound of pasta. Thin out with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before tossing with the pasta.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 364, UnsaturatedFat 26 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 35 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 10 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 353 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams