Bruschetta with broccoli pesto or broccoli cream. Broccoli pesto is a simple and tasty sauce, perfect for dressing pasta, but not only: it’s great on pizza, on bread, with breadsticks and it’s exceptional on bruschetta. A few days ago I had some bread to use up and while looking for creative recipes for stale bread my eyes fell on the broccoli I had in the fridge that I had bought the day before. Since I also had some walnuts, olive oil and cheese and a few sun-dried tomatoes, I improvised a broccoli pesto that I used both to dress pasta and to make these bruschetta using the stale bread. Want to try this alternative broccoli recipe? Let’s go to the kitchen — we’ll prepare together bruschetta with broccoli pesto and walnuts and you’ll create an original, inexpensive and tasty appetizer, perfect also for parties and informal dinners with family or friends. But before rushing to the stove, I remind you that if you want to stay updated on my recipes, you can follow my page Facebook and my profile Instagram.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Ingredients to make bruschetta with broccoli pesto and walnuts
- 10 slices bread (also stale)
- 5 1/2 cups broccoli (about 3 3/4 cups (400 g) already cleaned and cooked)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano)
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 3/4 cup walnut kernels (plus some for garnish)
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- as needed water (broccoli cooking water)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil (for finishing)
Tools
- Blender
- Nonstick skillet
Steps to make broccoli bruschetta
Bring a pot full of water to a boil. Separate the broccoli florets from each other and remove the toughest part of the stem, rinse them, drain them and drop them into the boiling water. Blanch everything for about 7-8 minutes — the broccoli should be al dente, still a vivid green and not mushy. Drain them and transfer to a bowl to cool; I recommend placing them on the windowsill so they cool quickly or immersing them in ice water (to keep a vivid green color). Place in the blender the broccoli, the cheese (in pieces or grated), the pepper, the walnuts, the sun-dried tomatoes and the oil — you can add a little more oil than indicated or add some broccoli cooking water for a lighter pesto. Blend until you obtain a cream and adjust the salt (just a pinch because there is already cheese and sun-dried tomatoes).
Slice the bread and toast it in a nonstick skillet until golden. Spread generously with the broccoli cream, drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish, if you like, with a few more walnut pieces.
Serve immediately.
(The broccoli and walnut pesto, once ready, should be used the same day; any leftover quantity can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or portioned and frozen).
