[ recipe ] :: broccoli pesto tortellini

Recipes for different kinds of pesto have been slowly piling up in my bookmarks and on my Pinterest boards, but I never got around to trying them. Dishes like this Broccoli Cream Pesto seemed right up my alley, but I never quite got around to making it. When I got my latest issue of Real Simple magazine, imagine my surprise when there was a recipe for Tortellini with Broccoli Pesto and I had every ingredient on hand but the pine nuts and parsley. I sent The Hubs to the grocery store, and I got to cooking!

I have made this recipe three times in the past two weeks, and no matter how I make it, it turns out great. My favorite way to have it is over cheese tortellini and sprinkled with diced tomato, but it is also delicious over fettuccine or rotini pasta. The Hubs and I go crazy over broccoli and love the mild, nutty flavor it lends to this dish.

Ingredients

10 oz package of tortellini (can double to make 4 servings)

1 bunch broccoli, chopped into florets
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup olive oil (or 2 tbsp oil, plus enough vegetable stock to make up the volume)
2 tbsp pine nuts (or almonds or walnuts)
2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
salt and pepper, to taste
optional - diced tomatoes

Directions

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Boil the broccoli for 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove broccoli from the water and let it cool before adding it to a food processor or blender. Add tortellini or pasta to the same cooking water and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, add the parsley, cheese, oil, pine nuts, and garlic to the processor. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (more or less to taste) and pulse until smooth. Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto while it is still hot. Top with diced tomatoes (optional) and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  

This recipe will make enough pesto to top four servings of tortellini or pasta. As written, this recipe serves 2 hungry adults with leftover pesto. I sent The Hubs to work one day with a leftover chicken breast smothered in broccoli pesto and he loved it.

- Maggie White