A Fresher Pesto

I know I’ve already told you about our fresh pasta experience, but it was just so good, Sam and I made it again on Saturday!  This time I did it with him so I would know how to do it again, but I’d still rather he make it.  I paired it with a broccoli pesto, which was delightful, even though I realized that I didn’t have any walnuts in the house to add to it.  I was missing a little bit of the nuttiness that pesto usually have, but it was much lighter and with a little lemon juice added to it, it had a nice citrus finish.  This recipe made enough to feed us both for about 3 meals so I would recommend freezing some of it. I’m personally going to use it all week on chicken and in salads, but that’s only because I don’t have a freezer…

Broccoli Pesto

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets

¼ c. fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic

1 c. shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Juice and zest from ½ lemon

1 c. olive oil

salt & pepper

Directions

Quickly steam the broccoli florets until just tender, but still vibrant green.  Drain and drop immediately into cold water to stop it from cooking.  Add the broccoli, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and zest, and salt & pepper into a food processor.  Pulse the mizture until the consistency of breadcrumbs.  Slowly add the oil while the processor is on low.  Stir in the parmesan and add more salt & pepper to taste.  Cook your pasta of choice (but hopefully it’s fresh) and add a ½ cup of pesto to the pasta.  Enjoy!