Roasted Broccoli Pesto Penne
I'm going to be completely honest with you. It was a Sunday night. My entire weekend was spent in PJs on the couch. It was pure bliss. I also completely avoided going to the grocery store like a decent, productive individual would do...
But it was Sunday night and dinner was on the agenda. So what did I do? I looked through my fridge and pantry for anything and everything that could create a well-composed, easy and yet delicious dinner. And, as luck would turn out, I had some perfect ingredients on hand to make this simple yet satisfactory pasta.
So I would be lying to you if I said this was a pre-meditated recipe. But I could've fooled you, right?
My roasted broccoli makes a guest appearance in this hearty, super simple pasta dish complete with zesty sun-dried tomatoes, bright and rich pesto and some earthy pecans for crunch. And while I don't normally condone the use of whole wheat pasta, I have to say it was necessary in this dish; it added even more nuttiness and balance to a pasta bursting with color and texture.
As for the pesto, if I had basil and pine nuts on hand, I totally would've made it from scratch. My homemade pesto AKA garlic tapenade is the bee's knees (it's Cole's holy grail). I'll save that gem for another day. But, for this occasion, the Costco brand of pesto happened to be sitting in my fridge and it was delish. As my idol Ina Garten would say in this instance, "store-bought is fine..."
So the grand takeaway, my friends, is I encourage you to spend an entire lazy weekend in your jammies. Don't go to the grocery store! Peruse your pantry and fridge and get down with your bad self. Who knows? You might be the creator of a new delicious dish like this one.
Roasted Broccoli Pesto Penne
Ingredients
1 pound whole wheat penne
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup pesto
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook pasta to al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread broccoli evenly across a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes over broccoli and toss using hands to combine. Roast for 15-20 minutes until crispy and slightly charred.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, pecans, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan, pesto and broccoli and stir to combine. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and serve.
