Broccoli Pesto

You can use this bright mixture as a dip, a spread or a sauce with pasta.

Ingredients

• ½ pound broccoli florets
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, green shoots removed
• 1 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 ½ to 2 ounces (1/3 to 1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan, or a mixture of pecorino Romano and Parmesan, to taste

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

    92 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 76 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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1 1/4 cups

Preparation

1. Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes, until very tender but still bright. Remove from the heat, rinse and drain on paper towels.
2. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is minced and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the broccoli and the basil to the machine and turn on. When contents are finely chopped, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn on the machine again and drizzle in the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the grated cheese, and process until well blended.
3. Transfer to a bowl and serve as a dip, spread or sauce with pasta. If serving with pasta, this amount will be plenty for a pound of pasta. Thin out with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before tossing with the pasta.

• Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but the garlic will become more pungent. The pesto will retain its nice color.

20 minutes