Broccoli stems are totally delicious and totally underutilized. Once you peel off the tough outer skin, you’re left with a crisp, bright veggie that’s great for snacking, roasting, or turning into noodles, like in this recipe. Kick things up to a whole different level with roasted broccoli pesto and a pine-nut “cheese” topping, and you’ll never throw out a broccoli stem again. MORE: How to Make Broccoli Out Of Bread Serves 2–4 Pesto 3 heads broccoli with long stems, chopped into florets and stems reserved ½ avocado, diced 1–2 cloves garlic, minced 5–7 leaves fresh basil 2 Tbsp lemon juice ¼ tsp salt ⅛ tsp ground black pepper ¼ c extra virgin olive oil 8 oz pasta Topping ⅓ c pine nuts 1 tsp nutritional yeast ¼ tsp salt
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Place broccoli florets on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.2. Peel or slice off outermost layer of stems. Using julienne peeler, peel stems lengthwise to form long, thin strands. Repeat with all stems and set aside.3. In small pan, lightly toast pine nuts over medium heat until just about to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Place pine nuts, yeast, and salt into blender and pulse until mixture is similar to grated cheese in texture. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.4. Place roasted broccoli into food processor with avocado, garlic, basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. Gradually add olive oil to running food processor until mixture is thoroughly combined but not smooth. Set aside.5. Cook pasta 1 minute less than directed on package. Strain and return pasta to pot. Add pesto and toss to coast.6. Divide pasta among bowls. Top each with broccoli noodles and topping. Serve warm. NUTRITION (per serving) 580 cal, 23 g pro, 77 g carb, 20 g fiber, 11 g sugars, 26 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 450 mg sodium
