Broccoli, pesto, and green olives—believe it! This pasta recipe tastes so fresh. It’s perfectly suited for springtime dinners, though I think you’ll want to keep it in your repertoire for the rest of the year.
I wouldn’t have come up with this pasta combination myself, so I’m glad I found the recipe in my friend Kelly Senyei’s new cookbook, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook. You might know Kelly from her blog, Just a Taste. Kelly is a delightful person, a professionally trained chef and a hard-working mom to three boys, all under the age of five.
Kelly’s new cookbook offers 125 family-friendly recipes with fun secret ingredient twists. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises, but I’m looking forward to trying the Caesar pasta salad (with avocado), Greek chopped salad (with halloumi cheese), 30-minute mac and cheese (with pumpkin) and mushroom ravioli with brown butter sauce (with goat cheese, and made entirely from scratch). And good gracious, wait until you see the desserts.
This broccoli pesto pasta recipe includes green olives as the secret ingredient. They offer a delicious briny olive flavor and cover up the flavor of the broccoli. She says her boys absolutely love this dish, so this dish is designed for the whole family. I found some ricotta in my fridge and really enjoyed a few dollops over my bowl. Serve it as you please!
Broccoli Pesto Pasta Notes & Tips
- This pasta comes together quickly for weeknight dinners. It’s ready in just over 30 minutes.
- Kelly says this pasta can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled, so it’s perfect for all seasons.
- This pasta could easily be made dairy free/vegan. Just omit the cheese, and see the recipe notes for suggested alternatives.
- Use as much of the pesto as you’d like, and freeze any leftover pesto for later (see recipe note for details). I love saucy pastas, so I used all of it.
- I love to serve this pasta with a few dollops of ricotta, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a light drizzle of olive oil. If you (or your kids) prefer more mellow flavors, serve it as written instead!
How to Make Broccoli Pesto Pasta
You’ll love how this recipe comes together. Find the full recipe below or in Kelly’s book on page 129. Here’s the gist:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the broccoli for a few minutes. Then, transfer the broccoli to a blender and use the boiling water to cook the pasta.
- In the meantime, toast the pine nuts in a skillet for a few minutes to bring out their best, most nutty flavor. Transfer the pine nuts to the blender.
- Add the remaining pesto ingredients to the blender (drained olives, basil, garlic, Parmesan and black pepper). Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta, and add 1/2 cup to the blender.
- Pulse the pesto to combine. While running the blender, drizzle in olive oil and blend until puréed.
- Pour as much pesto into the pasta as you’d like, toss, and serve.
More Veggie Pasta Dishes to Enjoy
Here are a few more of my favorite pasta recipes:
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta
- Pasta alla Norma
- Spinach Stuffed Shells with Marinara
Be sure to check out The Secret Ingredient Cookbook for more delicious, family-friendly recipes! Please let us know how the recipe turns out in the comments.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Green Olives
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Make this broccoli pesto pasta for a fresh and veggie-packed dinner! This recipe features broccoli, toasted pine nuts, green olives and Parmesan. The green olives disguise the broccoli flavor and bring this dish to life. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 pound uncooked pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
- 1 cup green olives, drained and pitted
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (about 1 ⅓ ounce, or 2 small containers)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Several twists of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Optional, for serving (my additions): Dollops of ricotta and/or red pepper flakes, drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a blender.
- Bring the water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Cook the pine nuts in a small saucepan set over medium heat, moving the nuts around, until fragrant and toasted, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pine nuts to the broccoli in the blender, along with the olives, basil, garlic, Parmesan, pepper, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Pulse until combined, stopping to stir as necessary.
- With the blender running, stream in the olive oil, stopping the blender and scraping down the sides as needed, until the pesto is pureed. Taste and season with salt and additional pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss together the pasta with your desired amount of pesto (I used all of it), thinning it with additional reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time if needed. Sprinkle with some additional grated Parmesan, if you’d like.
- Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Serve in individual bowls, as-is or with dollops of ricotta, sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a light drizzle of olive oil. Leftover pesto pasta keeps well in the fridge, covered, for 4 days.
Notes
This recipe comes from The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the Parmesan and don’t add ricotta. You might like a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan or Vegan Sour Cream in their place, but I bet it’s lovely with just an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free noodles, such as a corn and quinoa blend.
Kelly’s leftover pesto tip: Pour it into ice cube trays, then cover securely with plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to serve, pop out a pesto cube or two and defrost in the microwave or on the stovetop with your pasta of choice.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
J
No pine nuts in “ingredients”?
Kate
Sorry J, just fixed it. You’ll need 3 tablespoons.
J
Thanks, Kate. Just FYI (for others who are interested in the future): don’t know if it’s only how I’m bringing the recipe up anew, but pine nuts still aren’t listed in the “ingredient” list. No further response needed for me, though!
Rita
Am I missing the pine nuts in the ingredients? Looking forward to making this!
Kate
Yes, I neglected to add that line! I’m sorry. You’ll need 3 tablespoons.
NP
Hi, this doesn’t state the quantity of pine nuts needed?
Kate
Sorry! 3 tablespoons
judy
Do not see pine nut quantity for this recipe
Kate
Sorry about that! 3 tablespoons
Anita
I don’t see the pine nuts listed on the ingredient list. What quantity of pine nuts are needed? Can I substitute a more budget friendly nut? I love your recipes and this sounds yummy. I can’t wait to make it.
Kate
Sorry about that, Anita! I’ve just corrected the ingredients list to include 3 tablespoons pine nuts. Almonds would be a great substitute, if that works for you. I would toast them until fragrant and turning lightly golden on the edges, just like the pine nuts.
Monica DaCosta
The amount of pine nuts was omit from the ingredients list. Sounds yummy.
Kate
You’re right and I’m sorry about that! The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons.
Amy Brenton
How much of the pine nuts go in this recipe? I don’t see it listed in the ingredients. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Kate
Three tablespoons, sorry about that!
Cathy Mestas
The instructions for broccoli pesto include pine nuts, but I don’t see pine nuts in the ingredient list.
Kate
Sorry Cathy—you’ll need 3 tablespoons pine nuts for this recipe. I’ve just corrected the ingredients list.
Jo
How many pine nuts?
Kate
Three tablespoons, sorry about that!
Jo
Thank you! I put in about 4 tbs – still tasted delicious! Great recipe :)
★★★★★
Helena
Looks good but how many pinenuts
★★★★★
Kate
Three tablespoons, sorry about that!
John G. LeConche
Looking for the amount of pine nuts used. I don’t see it in the ingredients?
Kate
Hey John, good catch. I’ve just fixed the recipe. It calls for three tablespoons of pine nuts.
Narelle
Hello – looks delicious and love the addition of the olives so cant wait to try it but I have noticed that you have pine nuts in the instructions but not in the ingredients list – how much do you add to the recipe please? Can pine nuts be omitted and replaced with something else if someone has an allergy to them?
Thank you
:)
Kate
Hi Narelle! I just corrected the recipe. It calls for 3 tablespoons pine nuts. You could substitute almonds if that works for the allergy. Otherwise, I think you could either omit them or maybe use pepitas.
Geetha
Thank you, Kate! Can’t wait to try this. What about the quantity of pine nuts?
Kate
Three tablespoons! Sorry about that.
Nathalie
Hi Kate, how much pine nuts is needed?
Kate
Three tablespoons, sorry about that!
Dianne
Would love to try this recipe but it does not give the quantity of pine nuts needed.
Kate
Hi Dianne, sorry about that! Three tablespoons.
Jackie
I really enjoy your recipes. Hubby and I are vegan so I’m grateful you always add extra comments for the vegans. I went through this recipe a number of times and cannot find the amount of pine nuts needed. Could you please let me know? Looking forward to cooking this one up.
Kate
Thank you so much, Jackie! Sorry about the omission. You’ll need 3 tablespoons of pine nuts.
Lisa
I don’t see pine nuts listed in the ingredients.
Kate
Sorry Lisa! You’ll need 3 tablespoons.
Allison
There are no pine nuts in the ingredients list. How much should I use? Thanks!
Kate
So sorry! Just 3 tablespoons.
Kelly Senyei
Thanks so much for sharing, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
The book is beautiful, Kelly!
Jason
Thank you for the recipe and for all the other great ones on your blog. As I read through the list of ingredients I don’t see the pine nuts amount listed.
Kate
Hi Jason, So sorry about that! It’s been updated now. I hope you make it and let me know what you think.
Joyce
This looks delicious! I don’t see in the recipe the amount for the pine nuts. If you could please let me know I would appreciate it.
Kate
It’s been updated! Sorry about that. I hope you love it.
Becki
I made this tonight – it was really tasty, very satisfying and I LOVED that the pesto had so much broccoli in it. I had more broccoli on hand than the 2C in the recipe, and I blanched some of the littlest florets to be a garnish or mix in over the whole dish. This is exactly what I want to eat right now, and I want to check out this cookbook! Thanks for the post!
★★★★★
Kate
I love your idea of adding more broccoli! Delicious. Thank you for sharing, Becki.
georga key
This looks delish! Definitely going to make on the weekend :) (Also, lol at all the comments about pine nuts!)
★★★★★
Kate
So many!! Hope you enjoy it! :)
Suzanna Govea
Hi, the recipe leaves out the measurement for the pine nuts.
I’m gonna guesstimate though because I really want to try this recipe..
Btw, I have your book and have really enjoyed everything I have made so far.
Thanks,
Suzanna
Kate
Hi Suzanna, it calls for 3 tablespoons.
Jennifer
This was delicious!!! My teen even liked it and she is super picky. I used toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts as this is what I had. Sooo yummy!!
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome, thanks Jennifer!
Emily Weber
Would this recipe work with Broccoli Rabe instead of Broccoli florets?
Kate
Hi Emily, possibly! Broccoli rabe has a much more pungent flavor. As long as you like that, I think it would work. Also, I would boil the rabe until you can easily pierce through the stems with a fork (it’s a little tougher than regular broccoli).
Lori Simon
I don’t see where you specify the amount of pine nuts. My eyes are bad, so maybe I am just not seeing it.
Kate
Hi Lori! Sorry about that. The recipe just needs 3 tablespoons of pine nuts.
Emily
Great recipe! I’m not a huge fan of pesto but liked this. Next time I would ditch the garlic, even with the amount cut down the raw garlic was quite overpowering but perhaps the varieties in my region pack more punch.Will be making this again and topping with a smattering of goats cheese.
Mary Brewer
Hi Kate! Intrigued by the unusual combination, I made this the other day and both my husband and I were blown away by how flavorful it was. We are turning the leftovers into a frittata for lunch today.
I am curious about what kind of olives you used – I ransacked my fridge and combined castelvetranos, Greek green olives, and Sicilian spicy green olives, and it came out great, but I don’t always have an assortment like that in my fridge. Have you ever tried it with black olives? I was thinking kalamatas, though the color might not be very attractive…. Congratulations on another superb and easy recipe!
★★★★★
Rachel
This was sooooo good! Subbed nutritional yeast for parm to make it vegan, and it was delicious. I hate olives, so was hesitant to try it, but I’m so glad i did! I plan to add this to my regular recipe rotation and share it with all my friends/family. I made it last night and I kind of want to make it again today, haha. Thank you – this is a winner!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you adapted this. I know others will find it helpful.
Kirstin C
My boys and I really enjoyed the dish! I played it cool with one of them that it contained olives, and he ate it without fussing. Speaking of olives, any tips on what kind work best? I opened a can from Trader Joe’s, and they tasted so similar to canned black olives, I decided to try something else- the jars of basic green olives we keep on hand, which are the really salty ones. Tips on a smoother puree welcome- I just used our food processor. We also went GF and dairy free, and subbed pumpkin seeds for allergy friendliness.
★★★★★
Kate
Oh no! I try to buy organic when I can or Divina are good too. Thanks for sharing your experience, Kirstin!
michelle m
Looking forward to trying this recipe. I’m trying to avoid olive oil or any oil… haven’t done this before, but do you think I could use a little vegetable stock in place of olive oil or will the texture be off?
Kate
I personally haven’t tried it, but it may work. You will miss some of the flavor oil gives, but I’d be interested to see what you think.
neha jain
Do you think kalamata olives will work? I have a huge jar of those and would be great to use them up.
Kate
I do love kalammata olives! I think that could work too. Let me know what you think.
Tamara
We made this tonight and it was delicious! My daughter loves the pesto in a jar at Costco and now wants me to stop buying it and only make this. Luckily it was easy to make.
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for your review, Tamara.
Helen
Just to let you know made it without the pine nuts, just all the other ingredients – only because we don’t like the taste of them. So quick and easy and it turned out perfectly without them. Awesome, thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Helen! I’m happy to hear that.
Nat
Tasty and simple – a really fun twist on pesto! I enjoyed this with gluten-free red lentil penne, with a couple sundried tomatoes on top.
I also appreciate how you re-use the water and don’t boil multiple pots – the little things that make it a bit more planet-friendly :)
Funny story – I was trying to double the recipe to make some extra to freeze, but I mistyped the recipe pretty badly when I was making my grocery list and got four heads of broccoli (not four cups of florets). It made nearly a gallon of pesto. Thankfully, as I said, it’s very tasty and freezes well. I will be eating and sharing this for some time, LOL.
★★★★★
Kate
Sun dried tomatoes sound nice! Thank you for sharing, Nat.
Loretta
Wow!
What a healthful and delicious recipe.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will gladly make it again as well as for guests. Thank you Kate! And Cookie too…
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Loretta!
Kasumi
I used walnuts instead of pine nuts. It was great!! Thanks Kate.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad to hear it! Thank you for reporting back, Kasumi. :)
Scott
Of the many kinds of green olives available, which are neat for this recipe?
Kate
Hi, pitted if you can find them. Any green olive would work.
Jeanne
Great recipe. Made it according to the instructions, and used a vegan parmesan in the pesto and on top for serving. The hub, who only likes broccoli when it is well disguised, thought it was great! Thank you so much for another keeper. You are a rock star. Hugs to you, from one Missouri girl,now in Texas, to another.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Jeanne! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
John
Never seen so many questions about pine nuts, looks great
★★★★★