Broccoli Rabe Pesto Pasta
Updated March 11, 2025
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 2heads broccoli rabe (about 1 pound each), tough stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2garlic cloves, peeled
- ½cup shelled walnuts (about 2 ounces)
- 1cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces), plus more for serving
- 1lemon, juiced
- ½cup olive oil
- 1pound farfalle, or other short pasta
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
925 calories; 46 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 1008 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Step 2
Add the broccoli rabe and garlic cloves to the boiling water, cooking until the broccoli rabe is a vibrant green color, 60 to 90 seconds. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli rabe and garlic from the water, place into a bowl, then rinse with cold water and strain. Set aside. Leave the water in the pot and turn off heat.
- Step 3
Add 1 cup of the broccoli rabe and all of the garlic to a food processor and blend until broken down into very small pieces, scraping down the sides as needed, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts, ¾ cup of the Parmesan, half of the lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper and blend into a thick paste. With the food processor on low, slowly add the olive oil, blending until the mixture becomes silky and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, then set aside.
- Step 4
Bring the pot of water back to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before straining the pasta. With the pot off the heat, add pasta, pesto, remaining broccoli rabe, remaining lemon juice and ¼ cup Parmesan, along with a splash of pasta water. Stir, adding more pasta water as needed, until a silky sauce coats the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with more grated Parmesan on the side.
Private Notes
Advertisement
Comments
Hi Christa! "rough stems" refers to the very bottom of the stem, which is often thicker, rough and inedible. The rest of the stem is delicious and should be used in the recipe. Thank you! Dan
We loved this! It was fun to make and has so much flavor. I did up the health value of the dish by using cannellini beans instead of pasta. ( I have a dietetic husband so pasta is a rare treat.)
Some thoughts on technique and building flavor in case they’re helpful. - The edible part of the stems is green and solid inside. The woody part is hollow, white and dry inside. From bottom, cut stems until you reach the good section. Discard the woody bits. - Toasting the walnuts adds flavor. - Topping with fresh, dried breadcrumbs sautéed in garlic and a little salt gives a boost of flavor and texture. - I added spicy Italian sausage. Next time I will treat it as a topping (sausage, then parm, then breadcrumbs). I had tossed it with pesto along with the pasta and rapini and felt it masked the sausage flavor somewhat.
I accidentally bought broccolini with rapini on my mind, so that’s what I used. While I love the bitterness of broccoli raab, the broccolini has very little bitterness and might be a nice alternative for those who aren’t into the more bitter veggies. That being said, it was killer and I look forward to making it with the right stuff next go.
This was a hit. I had pine nuts and used them. Can’t have enough broccoli rabe, so I halved the pasta.
Yum! What an innovative way to use broccoli rabe. We added an additional juice of half a lemon and a lot of salt to cut the bitterness a bit. We also used pine nuts instead of walnuts which made it extra creamy (we added the same amount). Delish!