October 5, 2020 Sincerely Aline

KIRREats: Thai Basil Pesto Eggplant Broccoli Pasta by Sincerely Aline

Name: Thai Basil Pesto Eggplant Broccoli Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 eggplant (roughly chopped); 1 large broccoli (chopped into florets); 2 shallots (sliced); 1 tsp cayenne pepper; Salt for taste; Fresh ground pepper; Extra virgin olive oil for cooking; 2 big bunches Thai basil leaves (or Italian); 3-4 cloves garlic; ½ cup walnuts (lightly toasted); ¼ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted in a pan for a few minutes with the walnuts); ½ cup roughly chopped or grated pecorino/ parmesan (or opt for a vegan parmesan); ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; ½ -1 tsp salt; 500g pasta of choice (I used a gluten-free spaghetti)

This hearty, wholesome dish is an easy weekday meal that is family and batch friendly. It’s made with lightly spiced eggplant and broccoli tossed with gluten-free spaghetti and homemade Thai basil pesto. This dish is delicious as leftovers, just whip up a big batch, store part of it in the fridge and enjoy it over a few days.

I made my quick homemade pesto using Thai basil, a combination of toasted walnuts and pine nuts, and pecorino. Stirred through the pasta, this herby, nutty sauce really makes the dish. Not only incredibly moreish, it contains heart-healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil, and is also packed with antioxidants thanks to the basil and garlic. I make this versatile pesto recipe quite frequently as it is so easy, and the use of Thai basil, in particular, makes it that extra bit tasty!

Thai Basil Pesto Eggplant Broccoli Pasta

Rated 5 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Image of Thai Basil Pesto Eggplant Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

1 eggplant (roughly chopped)
1 large broccoli (chopped into florets)
2 shallots (sliced)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt for taste
Fresh ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking

Pesto

2 big bunches Thai basil leaves (or Italian)
3-4 cloves garlic
½ cup walnuts (lightly toasted)
¼ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted in a pan for a few minutes with the walnuts)
½ cup roughly chopped or grated pecorino/ parmesan (or opt for a vegan parmesan)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ -1 tsp salt
500g pasta of choice (I used a gluten-free spaghetti)

Directions

Start by prepping the pesto, place everything except the olive oil in a food processor, blitz until everything has been chopped up. Taste, and add more salt if it needs it. Scrape down the sides and add the olive oil, blitz again until well combined. Leave to one side
In a large pan, add some oil, the cayenne and fry the shallots for a minute. Add the eggplant and a touch of salt, fry for a few minutes, add the broccoli and a few tablespoons of water. Fry until the broccoli has cooked through
Whilst the vegetables are cooking, you can also start to cook the pasta. Follow the instructions on the pack
Turn off the heat on where the vegetables are cooking if the pasta is still cooking
Once the pasta has cooked, drain and run through with some water and add to the vegetables. Turn on the heat to low, drizzle with a touch more oil and salt. Stir in the pesto and thoroughly mix into the pasta and the vegetables, add a touch of fresh ground pepper and serve!

Filed in: alinedavis, blog, KIRREATS, recipe

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