Broccoli Pesto Pasta / Creamy Broccoli Pesto Pasta / Whole Grain Penne Pasta With Broccoli Pesto

I rarely make Pasta/Macroni/Sphagetti recipes since my H doesn't like pasta so only for me and my kids i make once in a bluemoon. That too will use only whole grain pasta in my recipes. After a very long time made this super quick, healthy and yummy Broccoli Pesto Pasta. Love Broccoli in any form, when i saw this broccoli pesto in Raks Kitchen immediately i bookmarked it and finally today made this Yummy Pasta with slight variation. I have seen in some of the recipes adding greek yogurt or cream to broccoli pesto pasta so i tried adding hung curd/fresh thick curd and it worked out and the pasta turned out so creamy and yummy with broccoli crunch. My lil' one totally loved this pasta i did not add Parmesan cheese to my pasta its totally a low calorie and healthu version. You can serve it as a meal or as a salad. Either way its yummy and filling. Now to the recipe...

Ingredients

1. Pasta        3/4 cup
2. Broccoli Florets      3/4 cup
3. Hung Curd/Greek Yougurt/Cream      1/4 cup
4. Red chilli Flakes        1/2 tsp or to taste
5. Pine nuts/Almond      1-2 tbsp
6. Lemon Zest        from one lemon
7. Lemon Juice    1 tsp
8. Salt & Pepper      to taste
9. Olive Oil         1 tbsp or less

Method

• Cook pasta as per package instruction, drain and keep ready.
• Boil 3-4 cups of water with 1 tsp salt and add broccoli florets, let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes. 
• Then drain and pulse 1/2 of it ina blender along with yogurt.
• Now in a wide bowl, add cooked pasta, chilli flakes, nuts, lil' salt, pepper, blended yogurt-broccoli mixture, olive oil lemon zest and lemon juice and toss together.
• That's it..Creamy and yummy Broccoli Pesto Pasta ready. If u like sprinkle some grated parmesan and enjoy.

Notes
Adding yogurt/cream is optional but sure this give nice creamy taste.
If u don't have cream or greek yogurt, no worries just take 1/2 cup of fresh full fat yogurt then put it ina cloth and keep it ina mesh strainer fpr 30-40 minutes so that u will get a thick and creamy n yogurt.
Add lemon n lemon zest just before serving or else it will turn bitter or serve as soon as soon finised tossing.