This broccoli pesto with pasta and cherry tomatoes is one of my favorite weeknight meals! It’s super easy to make, incredibly delicious, and packed with nutrients. Perfect for pasta lovers!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I’m a huge pasta fan. I could eat it every day. And sometimes I really do eat it every day. Haha! It’s just so comforting and if you use whole wheat pasta and pair it with a healthy sauce, you got a super nutritious meal in a very short time. I rarely buy store-bought pesto anymore. However, I had some really good store-bought vegan pestos over the last couple of years. But usually I make my own pesto using fresh herbs and nuts. If you have a good food processor or blender, it’s super easy to make your own!
What You’ll Need for This Broccoli Pesto
The ingredient list for my vegan broccoli pesto is pretty short. You need:
- cooked broccoli
- walnuts
- nutritional yeast
- garlic
- olive oil
- parsley
- salt and pepper
So as you see, this pesto is packed with good and healthy ingredients! As always, you can find the full ingredient list and recipe instructions in a separate recipe box at the end of this post.
Health Benefits of Broccoli
I know a lot of people who would probably describe broccoli as one of their least favorite foods. Definitely not me! I’ve always loved it – even as a kid. And it’s a real superfood!
Broccoli got so many health benefits. It’s a very good source of protein and fibre and it contains iron, calcium as well as vitamin A, C, E, and K. It’s also said to be able to help prevent many types of cancer, lower cholesterol, and detoxify the body. And it’s also good for your digestive system and skin. Broccoli helps to remove free radicals and toxins from the body. So what is there not to love about broccoli, right?
And as you pair the broccoli with walnuts for the broccoli pesto, you get even more nutrients!
I hope you like this broccoli pesto as much as I do. Have a great week, everyone!
Sina – xx
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
Creamy Vegan One Pot Pasta with Coconut Milk and Red Curry Paste
Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Vegan One Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
Spaghetti with Vegan Meatballs (aka Beanballs)
Broccoli Pesto with Pasta and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the broccoli pesto:
- 2 heaped cups cooked broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
- salt
- black pepper
For the pasta:
- 9 oz whole wheat pasta, cook according to instructions on the package
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 cup cooked broccoli florets
Instructions
- To make the pesto, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve with whole wheat pasta and cherry tomatoes. I also like to add some more cooked broccoli.
Madeline Kalu
I just made this recipe! It was quick and easy and l love using broccoli as a pesto sauce – never occurred to me until l discovered this recipe! In combination with the sweet tartness of the cherry tomatoes this dish was absolutely delicious. Will be making this again!
Betty
Added extra garlic cloves and boiled the garlic cloves with the broccoli florets to take the bite out of them. This was very tasty and a recipe we will make again.
Jenn
Great idea to use broccoli for a pesto! So delicious and healthy. Thanks
Kayleigh
Oh i absolutely loved this recipe! So did my family ;)
Lisa
I made this and enjoyed it. I omitted the parsley as I forgot to buy it. I also chopped up some sun dried tomatoes and sprinkled as garnish as well as the cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets. Worked really well.
Sharon
I love broccoli but it still surprised me how much I liked this dish! I’ve served it with roasted cherry tomatoes and broccoli pieces one day and on a different day, cherry tomatoes warmed in the pan and added wilted spinach (and more broccoli.) Definitely something I’ll make again and it’s so easy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sina
Hi Sharon,
Thanks so much for your comment. So glad you liked it! :-) It sounds super delicious with spinach as well. So healthy!
Luis
Very nice recipe
Sara
Oh my goodness I LOVE pesto, and this looks amazing! And I love even more that you included broccoli, that has never even crossed my mind when making homemade pesto but it’s such a good idea! Pairing it with cherry tomatoes is always a great combo, too. Looks amazing, Sina!