Broccoli pesto pasta with spicy crumbs recipe
Created by The Tesco Recipes team
Broccoli is the star ingredient in this twist on pesto pasta that's reminiscent of a pasta bake with its crunchy crumb topping, but without the oven time. Vegan, healthy, dairy-free and freezable, it ticks so many boxes, making it a versatile and vibrant midweek meal.
See method- Serves 4
- Takes 30 mins
- 569 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Dairy-free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Healthy
Ingredients
- 375g head of broccoli, cut into florets, stalk cut into 1-2cm pieces
- 320g frozen peas
- 100g pumpkin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves, 2 crushed, 1 thinly sliced
- 30g pack fresh basil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 300g wholewheat spaghetti
- 220g pack green beans, trimmed and halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 6 tbsp (40g) dried breadcrumbs
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2390kJ 569.0kcal
- Fat
- 16g
- Saturates
- 2g
- Salt
- 0.3g
- Sugars
- 11g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 70.7gProtein 26.5gFibre 20.3g
Method
- Cook the broccoli stalk and peas in a large pan of boiling water for 3-4 mins until the broccoli is tender. Scoop into a colander with a slotted spoon, run under cold water and drain. Reserve the cooking water and set aside.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan for 3-4 mins until golden. Tip into a food processor with the crushed garlic, basil, and lemon zest and juice, then blitz to combine.
- Cook the spaghetti to pack instructions in the reserved cooking water, adding the broccoli florets and green beans for the last 4 mins of cooking. Drain, reserving a mug of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, add the broccoli stalk and peas to the food processor and blitz again, slowly adding 2 tbsp olive oil and 100-120ml water while the motor is running, to make a thick, slightly chunky pesto. Season to taste.
- Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the frying pan over a low-medium heat. Fry the sliced garlic and chilli for 1-2 mins until the garlic just starts to turn pale golden, then add the breadcrumbs. Fry for another 1-2 mins until golden and crisp; tip into a bowl.
- Stir the pesto through the pasta and vegetables, loosening with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Spoon into bowls and top with the spicy breadcrumbs to serve.
- See more Healthy pasta recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
