PESTO PASTA WITH BROCCOLI, ZUCCHINI & RICOTTA
Just YUM!!!!! Pasta, pesto, ricotta - how can you go wrong?
You can make the pesto in advance on this one and it makes the prep time so much quicker/easier!!
The green pesto also hides the broccoli and zucchini a little, so I find my girls don’t notice the added veggies as much.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
400g pasta – I used cavatelli (penne, elbows, spirals, orecchiette work well)
1 large zucchini, grated or julienned
1 cup ricotta cheese
Extra grated parmesan to serve.
Pesto
4 cups basil leaves
3 cups mint leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup pinenuts – untoasted or toasted (you can also use almonds or walnuts)
2 large juicy lemons, juiced squeezed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive (approximately)
Sea salt & black pepper
Method:
For the pesto: place the basil, mint, garlic, parmesan and pine nuts into a food processor. Pulse until it comes together. Add the lemon juice and season well. Pulse again. Then drizzle in the olive oil until desired consistency is reached. You can also add a teaspoon or two of water to thin it out.
Place a large pot of water onto boil and add some salt. Once boiling, cook the pasta until al dente (check the packet). Before draining, keep approx. 3/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Place a large frying pan onto high heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat. Add the broccoli and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, along with half to three-quarters of a cup of the pasta water. Add 2 tablespoons of the pesto (or desired amount) and stir it all together. Add the zucchini in the last minute. Stir through and turn the heat off. Season well.
Serve the pesto pasta in bowls, add some grated parmesan and a tablespoon of ricotta cheese on top.