Broccoli & Almond Pesto | Anne Burrell

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and roast until almonds are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set up a salted ice bath. Add broccoli to the boiling water and let water return to a rolling boil. Scoop broccoli out of the boiling water, reserving the boiling cooking water, and plunge immediately into the ice bath. Once broccoli is cold, remove from the ice bath. 

Add pasta to the reserved boiling water and cook until it is almost al dente, usually 1 minute less than cooking time on the package directions. 

While the pasta is cooking, in the bowl of a food processor, combine almonds, garlic, a pinch of salt and the olive oil and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Add the parmigiano-reggiano and two-thirds of the broccoli and purée until smooth. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning. 

When the pasta is almost al dente, remove ½ cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta and return to the pan along with the pesto, remaining broccoli florets and the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to combine and cook until the pesto clings to the pasta, about 1 minute more. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with more parmigiano-reggiano and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to combine and serve immediately.