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By Courtney ODell
Sep 02, 2020, Updated Apr 20, 2023
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Broccoli Pesto Recipe – change up your favorite pesto dishes with this fresh and delicious pesto made with broccoli – even picky eaters love this pesto over pasta!
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Creamy, rich, tangy, earthy, salty pesto is one of my favorite things to add to dishes.
To me, pesto makes everything taste so much better!
This pesto is incredibly special – it is out of thiss world delicious, it is low carb and keto friendly, and it comes with a heaping dose of vegetables – thanks to the addition of broccoli!
If you’ve never had broccoli pesto, you’re in for a treat – this fun spin on pesto is packed with flavor, easy to make, and goes on just about every dish.
It’s great in pasta, or over rice, meats, vegetables, and fish – and it can be made ahead of time in a snap!
I hope you love this pesto as much as we do!
This pesto is also delicious when spooned over grilled, baked, and pan fried fish, pork, beef, chicken, and vegetables!
The recipes below are some of my favorite dishes to serve topped with broccoli pesto – and minus the vegan sandwiches, they are all low carb and keto friendly!
This pesto can give your low carb dinners a bright, earthy, and delicious kick!
How to Make Broccoli Pesto
This broccoli pesto is super simple to make – just whiz in a food processor and go!
There are a couple easy steps to keep your consistency perfect, which I am adding below.
To make this broccoli pesto, you’ll need a food processor or a blender.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Broccoli Pesto
Toast Pine Nuts. Give your pesto extra flavor by lightly toasting the pine nuts before adding them to the food processor – simply place them in a nonstick pan and heat until fragrant, stirring often.
Pine nuts burn quickly and taste bitter and acrid – so watch them closely while toasting pine nuts.
Whiz Broccoli First. For best results, blend broccoli first, before adding basil, pine nuts, herbs, and spices. Broccoli can take a bit of stirring and extra pulsing to blend to smooth, and takes up a lot of space in the food processor.
FAQs
How do I store leftover broccoli pesto?
This pesto will keep it’s bright green color, unlike many other pestos, after storing in the refrigerator overnight – I even like to make a big batch and freeze in small bags so I have more at the ready anytime. Pesto can also be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Can you freeze broccoli pesto?
You can also freeze pesto in ice cube containers to set them in a square shape, then toss the squares in a freezer bag for easy-to-use individual servings – so you can defrost and use as much or as little as you want! Frozen pesto can keep for up to four months. Let thaw naturally in the fridge overnight.
What to Serve With Broccoli Pesto
This broccoli pesto is amazing in simple pasta dishes, as a tangy zip (and extra veggies) in wraps or on salads.
I love it spooned over cous cous, linguine, or rice for a quick dinner – just grate some parmesan over the top for a perfect meal in minutes!
Also try it with one of these delicious protein packed favorites:
Easy Broccoli Pesto Recipe
If you love this easy broccoli pesto recipe as much as I do, please give it a five star review and help me share on facebook and pinterest!
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Easy Broccoli Pesto Recipe
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Delicious broccoli, parmesan, and pine nut packed pesto is perfect on bread, pasta, or you favorite protein.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of broccoli
- ½ - ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 cup basil leaves, unpacked
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste, or minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the florets off of the head of broccoli and steam until fork tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the florets to a food processor along with ½ cup of olive oil and blend until almost smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients except for the additional olive oil and pulse until smooth.
- Only use the extra olive oil to reach desired consistency, it may not be needed depending on the size of the broccoli.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 196Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 4mgSodium 356mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 3g
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Sweet C’s Favorite Recipes
If you love this easy pesto, be sure to check out some of our other favorite easy dishes!
These recipes are reader favorites for their tried and true family friendly flavor!
Sweet C's Favorite Recipes
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Categorized as:
keto, Keto Side Dishes, Keto Vegan, Main Dishes, Recipes, Spreads, Vegetables
About Courtney
Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!
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