20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta

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Full of flavor, 20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta is an easy stovetop recipe that’s ready in less than 20 minutes making a fantastic weeknight meal.

This pasta is the quickest, tastiest pasta recipe around. Pesto gives it an earthy yet bright flavor. Pesto tastes like oily basil, because essentially that’s what it is. It also tastes of Parmesan cheese, but basil is the predominate flavor. Sun dried tomatoes, my favorite, are tart and chewy. They have a much more intense ‘tomato’ flavor than fresh tomatoes.

Big Daddy usually likes meat in his pasta, but this 20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pasta is so flavorful and hearty he didn’t miss the meat. If you have meat eaters, you can add to cooked and chopped chicken breasts to the pasta. Or, you may want to serve it as a side dish to grilled chicken, steak, or even seafood.

20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta

1. I used two different shaped pasta in this recipe. No, it wasn’t to be fancy or cute. I literally had four boxes of pasta in the pantry and all of them had only about a cup of pasta in them. So I combined two with the same cooking time. You can use one or two pastas in your recipe. Hopefully, you’re more organized than I am and don’t have 4 almost empty boxes.
2. I used a store-bought prepared pesto. You can use bought or homemade. Again, it’s what I had on hand. (This is beginning to sound like it’s a clean-out-the-leftovers recipe.)
3. You may use gluten-free pasta if you prefer.

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20 Minute Stovetop Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Prep Time

4 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

19 mins

 

Servings: 4

Author: Paula Jones

Ingredients

• *See below for homemade pesto recipe
• 2 cups uncooked pasta, any shape
• 3 to 4 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup pesto homemade or store bought
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instruction to al dente.
2. Add broccoli florets to pasta for the last 5 minutes cook time.
3. Drain pasta and broccoli.
4. While pasta and broccoli are cooking, preheat a large, 12-inch, skillet or saute pan.
5. Heat canola in skillet, when oil is hot add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Turn to medium low and add pesto, sun dried tomatoes, salt, and peppers. Stir.
7. Stir in pasta, broccoli, and half the Parmesan cheese. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on low.
8. Taste and season additional as needed.
9. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
10. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

HOMEMADE PESTO6 ounces (2 healthy bunches or about 6 cups gently packed) basil leaves1/2 cup pine nuts1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese1 to 2 garlic cloves1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil1. Combine half of the basil with the nuts, cheese, cloves, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend continuously until the ingredients are finely chopped.2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the basil. Blend until a uniform paste has formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.3. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified into the basil and the pesto looks uniform.4. Taste the pesto and add more salt as needed to taste.5. Pesto looks best if used right away. If storing, store it in the smallest container possible and pour a little olive oil over the surface, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week. It can also be frozen for several months.1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

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