Gluten Free & Vegan Pesto Fettuccine with Roasted Broccoli

This pesto is so quick and easy to mix up in a food processor! We have been making a ton of it lately, the basil and spinach in our garden were growing like crazy until it started getting crazy hot! Our basil is still doing well, but the extreme heat was a little too much for the spinach. This pesto recipe can be used for a variety of meals, and keeping the ingredients on hand or some mixed up in the fridge makes dinner that much easier to throw together! While we love this pesto on gluten free fettuccine, we also like putting it on our salmon and chicken!

This pesto can also be made vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese, which is typically how we make it and it’s great! you can add some nutritional yeast for some added flavor and health benefits, but it’s not necessary. Check out my video below to see how easy it is to throw this homemade pesto together!

RECIPE (serves 6)

Ingredients:

Spinach Walnut Pesto

• 1 1/2 cups spinach

• 3/4 cup fresh basil

• 1/3 cup walnuts

• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit for dairy free or substitute with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast)

• 1 large garlic clove

• salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pasta and Broccoli

• 2 cups broccoli

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan (omit for dairy free)

• salt and pepper

• 18 oz gluten free fettuccine, cooked (I used 2 packs of the one from Trader Joe’s, found in refrigerated section)

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees for roasting the broccoli. While preheating combine the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor, all except the olive oil. Slowly stream in the olive oil while pulsing the ingredients together until smooth. Add a tablespoon of water or more olive oil until you get your desired consistency. Set aside the pesto.

Begin boiling the water for the pasta, once boiling cook the pasta according to the packaging. While waiting for the water to boil, place the broccoli on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the broccoli is roasting, toast the walnuts in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown. When the pasta is done cooking, drain, rinse and place in a large bowl. Add the pesto to the bowl along with the roasted broccoli and toasted walnuts. Toss together until everything is evenly coated with the pesto. Serve warm.