Arugula Pesto Pasta Bowl with Broccoli

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!

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword arugula, broccoli, lemon, pasta, pesto

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 546kcal

Author Bakerita | Rachel Conners

Ingredients

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

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 heads of broccoli, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, Salt
Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
1 box pasta
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.
½ cup raw pecans, 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 1 cup fresh arugula, 2 small garlic cloves, Zest & juice from 1-2 lemons, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, Salt & pepper, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
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.
1 big handful of arugula
Add to bowls and garnish with hemp seeds, sprouts, and vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Garnish: Hemp seeds
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