Italian

Spaghetti with chickpea and broccolini pesto

Name: Spaghetti with chickpea and broccolini pesto recipe
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /italian
Ingredients: 3 bunches broccolini, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths; 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves, plus extra leaves to serve; 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 3/4 cup (60g) parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon & juice of 1/2, remaining cut into wedges to serve; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 500g dried spaghetti

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by Silvia Colloca

Cook and author

Mar 01, 2020

“Chickpeas aren’t a traditional ingredient in pesto, but they make a smart way to bolster the punchy Italian sauce. This version of pesto also cleverly smuggles extra greens into the dish,” says Silvia Colloca.

3 bunches broccolini, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup firmly packed basil leaves, plus extra leaves to serve
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
3/4 cup (60g) parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon & juice of 1/2, remaining cut into wedges to serve
2 garlic cloves, chopped
500g dried spaghetti

Method

1.

To make the chickpea and broccolini pesto, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the broccolini and cook for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove broccolini from the water and plunge into iced water to cool completely. Drain and set aside half and place the remaining half in the bowl of a food processor along with the chickpeas, basil, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan, lemon zest and juice and garlic and season. Process until mixture is finely chopped. Place mixture in a large bowl along with the reserved broccolini.
2.

Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125ml) of the cooking water.
3.

Add the spaghetti and its cooking water to the bowl with the pesto and broccolini. Toss to coat thoroughly and check the seasoning.
4.

Divide the spaghetti among serving bowls, drizzle with extra oil and scatter with extra basil leaves and grated parmesan. Serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over to taste.