20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta
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Full of flavor, 20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta is an easy stovetop recipe that’s ready in less than 20 minutes making a fantastic weeknight meal.
This pasta is the quickest, tastiest pasta recipe around. The pesto gives it an earthy yet bright flavor. Pesto tastes like oily basil because essentially that’s what it is. It also tastes of Parmesan cheese, but basil is the predominant flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes, my favorite, are tart and chewy. They have a much more intense ‘tomato’ flavor than fresh tomatoes.
Big Daddy usually likes meat in his pasta, but this 20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pasta is so flavorful and hearty he didn’t miss the meat. If you have meat-eaters, you can add to cooked and chopped chicken breasts to the pasta. Or, you may want to serve it as a side dish to grilled chicken, steak, or even seafood.
20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- I used two different shaped pasta in this recipe. No, it wasn’t to be fancy or cute. I literally had four boxes of pasta in the pantry and all of them had only about a cup of pasta in them. So I combined two with the same cooking time. You can use one or two kinds of pasta in your recipe. Hopefully, you’re more organized than I am and don’t have 4 almost empty boxes.
- I used a store-bought prepared pesto. You can use bought or homemade. Again, it’s what I had on hand. (This is beginning to sound like it’s a clean-out-the-leftovers recipe.)
- You may use gluten-free pasta if you prefer.
While you’re here, check out these recipes
- New Orleans Sausage Shrimp Crawfish Pasta recipe
- Stove Top Chicken Ricotta Pasta recipe
- 18 Quick Pasta Meals Ready in 30 Minutes
20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- *See below for homemade pesto recipe
- 2 cups pasta uncooked, any shape
- 3 to 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cloves garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/3 cup pesto homemade or store-bought
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instruction to al dente.
- Add broccoli florets to pasta for the last 5 minutes of cook time.
- Drain pasta and broccoli.
- While pasta and broccoli are cooking, preheat a large, 12-inch, skillet or saute pan.
- Heat canola in a skillet, when oil is hot add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn to medium -ow and add pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and peppers. Stir.
- Stir in pasta, broccoli, and half the Parmesan cheese. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on low.
- Taste and season additional as needed.
- Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- 6 ounces (2 healthy bunches or about 6 cups gently packed) basil leaves
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese1
- to 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Combine half of the basil with the nuts, cheese, cloves, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend continuously until the ingredients are finely chopped.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the basil. Blend until a uniform paste has formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified into the basil and the pesto looks uniform.
- Taste the pesto and add more salt as needed to taste.
- Pesto looks best if used right away. If storing, store it in the smallest container possible and pour a little olive oil over the surface, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week. It can also be frozen for several months.
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
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