This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It’s filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You’ll want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It's filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You're going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories, I’ll bet that this meal looks pretty familiar to you. For good reason – I eat it on the regular. It’s definitely one of my favorite meals because I can simply not get enough of broccoli or pesto. I really love a good pesto pasta recipe!

Not kidding when I say I eat roasted broccoli at least 3 times a week. I’ll usually roast 2 heads of broccoli in some avocado oil and spices (this is my favorite ever roasted broccoli). Even though I make a bunch, I usually end up devouring it all before the night is over. I’m a broccoli fiend 😍

This week, I shared a super similar version of this meal on my stories and someone asked where the recipe was on my site. Finally, I got it together and whipped it up the next morning so I could finally take some photos and share the recipe with you. And here it is! So now you guys can all make it too :)

This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It's filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You're going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

What you need to make arugula pesto pasta:

  • Arugula Pesto: I made my own pesto out of arugula and basil. However, I usually just use whatever pesto I have on hand, whether that’s homemade, from the farmer’s market, or the vegan kale cashew pesto from Trader Joe’s. I even love using this Pesto Rosso from a sun-dried tomato twist on the meal.
  • Roasted Broccoli: simply roasted with a drizzle of avocado oil and some spices. This time I kept it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Pasta of choice: I use gluten-free pasta here, specifically Banza! It’s made from chickpeas and so delicious. You can usually find it at Sprouts or Whole Foods. However, any pasta you prefer will do, gluten-free or not.
  • Fresh Arugula: or any greens of your choice. Spinach, baby kale, chard, etc. will all work well here.
This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It's filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You're going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

This is a meal about CONVENIENCE. Even if you’re making the pesto from scratch, you can do it while the pasta boils and the broccoli roasts so it’s still quick and easy.

Once you’ve cooked the pasta and roasted your broccoli, you’ll toss everything together with fresh arugula and you’re ready to eat! It’s seriously simple, full of nutrients (especially if you garnish with some hemp seeds and sprouts, which I like to do) and absolutely delicious. I hope you love it as much as I do! :)

This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It's filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You're going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

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This One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta will be your new favorite 30-minute vegan dinner! It’s quick and easy to make in just one pan. It’s dairy-free, vegan, and easily made gluten-free.

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This Caramelized Leek Pasta features buttery, melt-in-your-mouth leeks, garlic, and shallots tossed with your favorite pasta and finished with lemon and parmesan. It’s the perfect quick weeknight meal – done in 30 minutes! Easily made both gluten-free and vegan. 

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This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It's filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You're going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Bakerita | Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick and easy go-to meals! It’s filling, nutritious, and simple to make in just 30 minutes. You’re going to want to put the homemade dairy-free arugula pesto on everything!

Ingredients

Scale

For the pesto

  • ½ cup raw pecans
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
  • 1 cup fresh arugula
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • Zest & juice from 1-2 lemons, depending on size/taste preferences
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the roasted broccoli

  • 2 heads of broccoli, cut off the stem and cut into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • Salt, pepper + garlic powder, to taste

For the pasta

  • 1 box pasta, gluten-free if necessary, I used Banza rotini
  • 1 big handful of arugula, about 1 to 1½ cups
  • Garnish: Hemp seeds, vegan parmesan, and sprouts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (optional, for easy cleanup). Place the chopped broccoli on the baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil. Sprinkle on your spices and use your hands to toss to combine, making sure all of the broccoli is lightly coated in spices and oil. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  2. Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. If you’re using Banza or another lentil/chickpea pasta, make sure to rinse in warm water when it’s done cooking and return to the empty pot.
  3. While the broccoli roasts and the pasta cooks, prepare the pesto. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix). Pulse on low speed until the ingredients come together. Make sure to scrape down the sides if you’re using a food processor. If you’re using a blender, keep the motor on low and use a tamper/scrape down the sides to make sure your pesto doesn’t become too smooth and pureed. You want the ingredients broken up into little bits, but not completely smooth. Taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon to taste. If you want it thinner, you can add more olive oil or switch to filtered water – I ended up adding about ¼ cup of water to get it to my desired consistency.
  4. Once everything is finished, add the broccoli and pesto to the pasta, along with a big handful of fresh arugula. Stir together over very low heat to warm everything up and help wilt the arugula. Once the arugula is wilted, you’re ready to serve.
  5. Add to bowls and garnish with hemp seeds, sprouts, and vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
  6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Notes

The nutritional info assumes you’ll use all the pesto, but you might have a little leftover, like I did. You can save any leftovers in an airtight jar or container in the fridge!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 546
  • Sugar: 8
  • Sodium: 102
  • Fat: 33
  • Saturated Fat: 3
  • Carbohydrates: 52
  • Fiber: 16
  • Protein: 24

Keywords: arugula, broccoli, lemon, pasta, pesto

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