Broccoli and White Bean Pasta Salad with Basil Pesto
By Joe
Source: America's Test Kitchen.
Gemelli, crisp-tender broccoli and creamy cannellini beans tossed in a lemony basil and pine-nut pesto with sweet cherry tomatoes. Dairy-free.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Blanch the broccoli. Bring the salted water to the boil, add the broccoli for 90 sec, then lift it into iced water with a slotted spoon. Drain well.
- 2
Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in the same water until just past al dente, drain, rinse cold and shake dry.
- 3
Make the pesto. Blend the basil, nuts, garlic, lemon and salt, then the oil, to a loose purée.
- 4
Assemble. Toss the pasta, broccoli, beans and tomatoes with the pesto and finish with the extra nuts.
Storage
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days; loosen with a splash of water or oil and check the seasoning before serving. Not suitable for freezing. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 1.3 g saturated fat per 100 g, 4.7% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 2.2 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 213 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.1 g per serving
0.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large pot (at least 5 litres)
- colander
- food processor or blender
- large mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- slotted spoon
- bowl of iced water
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 534 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrate | 66.6 g |
| of which sugars | 4.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| of which saturates | 2.8 g |
| Fibre | 7 g |
| Salt | 0.9 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3 g High protein needs ≥ 5 g per 100 kcal (20% of energy) and ≥ 10 g per serving
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
