Spaghetti with Broccoli Pesto

with slices of chicken and a scoop of
fresh ricotta

Pesto is wonderful in so many dishes and there are many varieties beyond the ubiquitous basil pesto with pine nuts.  I like to play around with different greens while leaving out the pine nuts. This particular broccoli pesto is the result of having a lot of broccoli in the refrigerator at one time.  My toddler, who usually loves steamed broccoli with olive oil, was bored with broccoli for the time being so I needed to find another way to use it all up.  It was so simple to puree the steamed broccoli and then mix in minced garlic, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper and olive oil.  The bright green color was terrific!  In just a few minutes, I made a delicious spaguetti dish tossed with freshly grated Parmegiano and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

What you need:
3 cups steamed broccoli florets (you can include stems)
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
zest of one lemon
a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice

fresh ground pepper and red pepper flakes (you can leave out for children's portions)
extra olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmagiano

What to do:
Cook spaghetti according to directions.  You can save a little pasta water to add to the pesto if you want a thinner sauce.

Puree first list of ingredients together in food processor, Thermomix or with hand blender.

Toss with spaghetti and add in the second list of ingredients according to personal taste.

For ore nut-free pesto ideas, visit:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-questions/help-me-find-an-alternative-to-nuts-for-pesto-good-questions-155326