Pasta with Basil Cream Pesto Sauce (modified slightly from Smitten Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1/2 pound broccoli cut into florets
1/2 pound dried pasta (I prefer rotini, the shape lets the sauce stick to the noodles better)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
8 TB. heavy cream
Grated parmesan cheese to top
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Steam broccoli over boiling water using a steamer attachment or mesh strainer, or steam separately in the microwave. Once broccoli is tender (approx. 5-6 minutes on stove, 3-4 minutes in microwave), remove from pot and add pasta. Cook until tender (approx. 7 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, strain and remove pasta from pot.
In the bottom of the pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently (~ 5 minutes). Add garlic and continue to stir for 1 minute. Add in cooked broccoli, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes.
Transfer everything from pot into a food processor and pulse until everything is chopped through. Transfer back to the pot, still on medium-low heat, and stir in cream. Add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until sauce begins to appear saucy. Add cooked pasta to pan and toss with the sauce until all of the noodles are covered. Serve with a lot of parmesan cheese on top.
