This broccoli pesto pasta comes together in just one pot and couldn’t be easier to make. Cook Penne Martelli and the broccoli florets together, drain, then combine with the pesto in the same pot. Once you nail the timing to cook all the ingredients to al dente perfection, you’ll be on team “one pot pasta” forever.
The Pesto King Roberto Panizza’s shelf-stable pesto Genovese is very salty. The preservative he uses to make it shelf-stable is the most natural one there is: sea salt! Consequently, there’s no need to salt the pasta water. Be sure to use that starchy liquid to rinse out the pesto jar. That way, you know you’re getting every last drop of that green Genovese goodness. Grazie to our amica Elizabeth Minchilli for the inspiration!
Ingredients
TIME: 15 minutes
SERVES: 4
- Penne Martelli, 400g / 14.1 oz
- Broccoli, 1 medium-sized head, about 250-300g / 8-10oz cut into small florets
- Shelf-stable pesto, 1 large jar (170g / 6oz)
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and begin cooking the penne. Set a timer for 8 minutes.
- After 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of your florets), add the broccoli to the pasta and stir.
- Once the 8 minutes have elapsed, drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a cup of their cooking water.
- Scoop the pesto into the empty pot, using some of the reserved cooking water to completely clean out the jar. Add the broccoli and penne, stirring to combine, and adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Divide between bowls and serve.
