Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 250 g broccoli florets, fresh, cut into small pieces
- 30 g fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
Aromatics & Body
- 40 g walnuts, halves or pieces
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 40 g parmesan cheese, grated
Liquids & Seasoning
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil, high quality
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest
- 2 g sea salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 82 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 89 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 77 mg
- Calcium
- 47 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 41 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 29 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 19 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.
Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.
Immediately transfer the broccoli to the ice bath using a slotted spoon. Let cool completely, then drain well and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a dry small skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened. Watch closely to prevent burning.
In a food processor, combine the garlic, toasted walnuts, and grated Parmesan. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add the dried broccoli, fresh basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely combined.
With the motor running on low, slowly stream in the olive oil until emulsified and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chef's Notes
- Blanching the broccoli serves two purposes: it locks in the vibrant green color (chlorophyll) and removes the raw sulfurous edge, making the pesto sweeter.
- To lower the sodium content further, reduce the Parmesan quantity and supplement with toasted nutritional yeast for savory depth.
- This pesto is thicker than traditional basil pesto. If using it for pasta, reserve some starchy pasta cooking water to thin the sauce when tossing.
- For a zero-waste approach, peel the thick broccoli stalks, chop them, and blanch them along with the florets.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in ice cube trays for convenient single servings.
Reheating: Thaw at room temperature; do not heat directly to preserve fresh flavor.
Troubleshooting
Pesto is watery or thin
Cause: Broccoli was not dried enough after blanching
Fix: Add more walnuts or cheese to thicken the texture
Prevention: Squeeze blanched broccoli in a clean tea towel to remove hidden water
Taste is too bitter
Cause: Olive oil polyphenols were released by high-speed blending or garlic is too potent
Fix: Add a pinch of sugar or more lemon juice to balance
Prevention: Stir oil in by hand at the end instead of blending
Cultural Context
While 'pesto' conventionally refers to Pesto alla Genovese from Liguria, the term simply means 'to pound' or 'crush'. This variation adapts the Italian tradition to cool-weather produce, utilizing broccoli—a vegetable cultivated in Italy since Roman times—to create a modern, nutrient-dense 'condimento' that bridges the gap between summer basil and autumn harvest.
