Pasta ‘risotto’ with broccoli and walnut pesto

Name: Pasta ‘risotto’ with broccoli and walnut pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: ½ broccoli head, cut into florets; 1 vegetable stock cube; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 300g dried gigli or fiorelli pasta (or similar curly tube shape); 150ml dry white wine; 20g parmesan or veggie equivalent, finely grated, plus extra to serve; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 50g walnuts, toasted; 50ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve

Portion size: Serves 4
Prep time 10 min. Cook time 30 min
Difficulty: easy

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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This pasta ‘risotto’ broccoli and walnut pesto has some tricks up its sleeve. Cooking your pasta in splashes of liquid gives a final result that is unlike any pasta you’ve had before. It takes on all the flavour of the onions and stock and is left coated in a thick, creamy sauce that binds it all together – a bit like a risotto.

Try toasting your penne (yes, really!) with our easy toasted pasta with smoky tomato sauce recipe.

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Ingredients

½ broccoli head, cut into florets
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
300g dried gigli or fiorelli pasta (or similar curly tube shape)
150ml dry white wine
20g parmesan or veggie equivalent, finely grated, plus extra to serve
1 garlic clove, finely grated
50g walnuts, toasted
50ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve

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Method

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the broccoli for 3-4 minutes until just tender but still with a bit of bite. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a colander and set aside to cool. Leave 700ml of the broccoli water in the pan and add the stock cube, stirring to dissolve, then keep warm over a low heat.
Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-based pan or casserole, then add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook over a low-medium heat for 8 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the pasta and stir for 5 minutes until lightly toasted.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook, stirring, until almost all the wine has been absorbed. Add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring regularly and waiting until each addition has been absorbed before adding more. It should take about 20 minutes to add all the stock, by which point the pasta should be cooked through and coated in a silky sauce.
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Meanwhile, make the pesto. Transfer the broccoli to a food processor and add the cheese, garlic, walnuts and olive oil. Whizz to a coarse paste and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the pesto, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan to serve.

Nutrition

607kcals Calories
30g (4.8g saturated) Fat
15g Protein
59g (6.7g sugars) Carbs
6.8g Fibre
0.1g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Don’t waste it Broccoli cooking water will be infused with flavour and nutrients so do keep it to make your stock.

Easy swaps Just as with a risotto, you can use the base pasta recipe here with any cooked veg or flavourings you like, in place of the pesto.

Scale it down Halve the ingredients if you’re only serving two, or keep the leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge. Add a splash of water and gently reheat in a pan or microwave.

Cook smarter

The starch in the pasta is released slowly as you gradually add the liquid, and it’s the starch that thickens the stock, creating a thick yet silky sauce.