There’s something magical that happens when you caramelize certain vegetables. They go from being somewhat plain to taking on the most interesting and delicious flavors and textures. One of my favorite veggies to do this with is broccoli as it takes on such a great flavor when you let it brown in the pan for a bit. This broccoli walnut pasta recipe has this wonderful flavor, enhanced with some of the most classic flavors in Italian cooking.

To start this recipe you’ll need a generous helping of olive oil. To the hot oil add some red pepper flakes (as much or as little as you personally enjoy) and then your walnuts. You can use other types of nuts if you like, such as pecans or pistachios.

Once the nuts have been flash-fried scoop them out and add in the broccoli. The trick to getting it seared is to let it sit for a few minutes without stirring it all. You only need to give your pan a good shake right when you first put the broccoli pieces in to make sure they aren’t piled on top of each other. Then just let the hot oil do the rest of the work.

After the first side is done turn them over. When there’s a nice browning happening on all sides add the nuts back to the pan along with some short pasta, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil.

For these photos I used campanelle, but any short pasta will work here. A good amount of Pecorino Romano on top completes this medley of flavors. All combined there is a profile that’s not unlike pesto, but with a fresher take.

The basil/cheese/nut combo certainly resembles pesto, but in this mixture it’s much lighter. It’s got some of the same notes, but with a more garden style taste.

If you’ve got some broccoli, some nuts, basil, and a lemon you can make this stunning broccoli walnut pasta. You won’t be disappointed with this flavorful and wholesome dish. Plus it feeds a crowd!