If you love a delicious, creamy pesto sauce, then get ready to have your world rocked by this recipe! My 10-Minute Broccoli Pesto is everything that you know and love about pesto, but made with superfood broccoli for an added nutritional boost. This is the perfect recipe for picky eaters, broccoli “haters,” or those who can’t get enough of pesto!
Friends, if there was ever a sauce that perfectly encompassed the essence of summertime, for me, it would be pesto. There is something about the vibrant, green sauce that makes anything feel instantly more cheerful and summery. Whether I’m putting it on pasta, spreading it on a sandwich, or eating it as a dip with my beloved pasta chips, there are so many delicious ways to use pesto. You truly can’t go wrong with it!
But as you may have been able to tell from the title of this post, this is not your mama’s pesto recipe. In fact, this recipe is anything but ordinary, and that’s because we’re swapping out the traditional basil in favor of one of my favorite vegetables: broccoli.
Now, if you’re wondering how on earth broccoli can become pesto, let me be the first to tell you: it really works! Not only that, but it is absolutely delicious. Broccoli is rich in Vitamin K, Calcium, Zinc, and Vitamins A and C, making it a nutrient-packed ingredient to put into this pesto recipe!
And if your kids are picky eaters (like mine tend to be), then this is the perfect recipe for them. They won’t be able to taste the broccoli in the pesto, which makes it the perfect way to get an extra serving of veggies into their diet! Not that I’m condoning being sneaky, but if you’re a mom, then you know. Sometimes, we have to get creative with how we help our kids maintain a healthy, balanced diet!
My Favorite Ways to Use Pesto
Pesto is a very versatile sauce, which means that it’s great when eaten so many different ways!
One of my favorite ways to eat it, of course, is over pasta. It’s the classic way! And sometimes, there’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of fresh pasta, topped with a delicious green pesto, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking of it!
But if pasta isn’t for you, or you are craving a gluten-free option, then I love this pesto tossed over veggies or chicken.
And if all else fails, feel free to slather some pesto on your favorite sandwich!
What You Need to Make This Easy Pesto Recipe
- Broccoli: Of course, the star of this dish is the broccoli. You can use fresh, whole broccoli, or frozen broccoli that has been defrosted. Whichever way you go, the key is to chop your broccoli into small florets. If you like your pesto very smooth and creamy, you can chop them extra small. But if you’re like me and like your pesto a little chunkier, then you can leave them slightly larger sized!
- Italian Parsley: Pesto is known for its herbaceous flavor, which we will be getting from Italian Parsley! I recommend using fresh parsley in this recipe, for the best flavor.
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic really shines in this dish, so I highly recommend it here. You can use garlic powder, but the flavor just won’t be the same.
- Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon helps cut through all of the herbs, and truly gives this dish the best flavor!
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan Cheese is a quintessential pesto ingredient. But if you’re dairy-free and/or vegan, the good news is: this pesto can be made without it! Simply swap the parmesan for some nutritional yeast, and this recipe becomes dairy-free. 🙂
- Olive Oil: While you could use any oil in this recipe, olive oil really makes this pesto taste amazing. You can taste the olive oil flavor,
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper: A little salt and pepper go a long way!
How to Make This Easy, 10-Minute Pesto Recipe
As mentioned in the name, this pesto comes together in only 10 minutes, making it so simple and easy to throw together on a weeknight, date night, or anytime that you crave this delicious, herby sauce!
To get started, simply bring a large pot of water to a boil, over the stove. Once the water is boiling, add in your broccoli florets and cook for 30-40 seconds.
Then, remove your broccoli from the water and immediately place them into an ice bath until they’re cool.
When the broccoli is cool, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it, along with the rest of your ingredients, into a high-speed blender or food processor.
Process your ingredients until it reaches your desired consistency. Then, serve as desired, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! And, since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so that I can repost them! xx
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Broccoli , chopped into small florets
- ½ Cup Italian Parsley, packed
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated; or, substitute nutritional yeast to make it vegan-friendly!
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil on the stove.
- Next, once the water is boiling, add in the broccoli florets and let them boil for 30-40 seconds.
- Once those 30-40 seconds is up, quickly remove the broccoli from the boiling water and add them to an ice bath until they're cool.
- When the broccoli is cool, pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Next, add your broccoli- along with all of your other ingredients- to a food processor or high-speed blender, and process until it reaches your desired consistency. I like to leave some chunks of broccoli in my pesto, but if you prefer your pesto completely smooth, then you can process it as long as you need.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve on your favorite sandwiches, with pasta, with chopped veggies or chicken, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Recipe In Action
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
This was a hit my 3 year old asked for more! Paired with chickpea pasta noodles. Delish .
Woohoo! I am thrilled to hear that, Rose! Thank you so much for your review. ☻
This was great!! I wasn’t sure how much sauce this made to figure out how much pasta to cook…so I increased the pesto ingredients by 50% for a pound of pipe rigate to be safe. Could have doubled the sauce since those noodles hold it so well. Also added some cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes – highly recommend those additions if you have them on hand!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Jess! Tomatoes sound like an excellent addition ☻ Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for leaving such a kind review!
This was fantastic! Very delicious and super easy and quick to make. (***Purists look away***) We used Kraft Parmesan cheese because we were in a pinch and it was still mouthwatering, so a very forgiving recipe. Mixed it was some gnocchi and dinner was ready in less than 30 minutes!
I’m so glad you found a way to make this recipe that worked with what you have! Yay! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving a kind review, Ivayla!